match which featured three tiebreaks, with a champion tiebreak again deciding the match. Dimitrov then played at the exhibition tournament in Kooyong, Australia, an event which featured top players Richard Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka and Tomáš Berdych. However he failed to take a single victory (losing in straight sets to Kei Nishikori and Fernando Verdasco), and ultimately pulled out prior to the seventh place playoff. Seeded 22nd at the Australian Open, Dimitrov had his best run at a Grand Slam event, defeating Bradley Klahn, Lu Yen-hsun, eleventh seed Milos Raonic and Roberto Bautista Agut in succession, leading him to his first ever major quarterfinal, where he lost to top seed and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in four sets after winning the first and also having three set points to win the third. As a result of this career-best run at a Grand Slam tournament, Dimitrov entered the world's top 20 for the first time (at No. 19), becoming the first ever Bulgarian male tennis player to do so. Next, in February, he played at the Rotterdam indoor event, where he was seeded eighth. Dimitrov beat world No. 28 Dmitry Tursunov in the first round 2–1 sets. Dimitrov then lost to world No. 24 Ernests Gulbis in straight sets. Dimitrov played in the Acapulco hard court event, where he was seeded 4th. Dimitrov beat world No. 71 Marinko Matosevic in the first round and Marcos Baghdatis in the second in straight sets. In the quarterfinals Dimitrov beat seventh seed and world No. 18 Ernests Gulbis in two sets to one in a match lasting over 2½ hours. In the semifinals Dimitrov beat second seed and world No. 7, Andy Murray for the first time in a match that lasted almost three hours – losing the first set then overcoming the Brit in two tiebreaks; thus, reaching his third ATP final where he defeated Kevin Anderson in three sets. The victory was Dimitrov's first win at an ATP 500 level tournament and with it he reached his highest ever ATP rank – No. 16. Following his win, Dimitrov played at Indian Wells, an ATP 1000 event, where he was seeded 15th and received a bye into the second round where he beat Robin Haase in straight sets, but then lost in the third round in two sets to one to world No. 22, Ernests Gulbis, who reached the quarterfinal. Dimitrov then played