Revitalized Medvedev Wins Maiden Championship in Over Two Years
Nineteen of Medvedev's 21 titles have been earned on hardcourt
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev won his maiden trophy for 882 days with a win over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
The Russian, a ex- top-ranked player, has had a challenging year, managing just a single victory at the major tournaments and experiencing a difficult moment at the US Open.
The player's varied form on the ATP Tour - and issues with his serve in especial - led to him falling of the elite rankings and eventually splitting with long-time coach Gilles Cervara.
Now training with Thomas Johansson and Goetzke, Medvedev has steadily improved in the recent weeks - culminating in a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 triumph over challenger Moutet.
This marks Medvedev's maiden title following the Italian tournament and initial on a hard court after March of 2023.
Success also means the Russian has achieved 21 victories at twenty-one various events.
"It's the first time I am participating in a event with my children simultaneously, so to win a title is especially meaningful," commented ranked player the champion.
"This championship is in dedication of my child Victoria, because the maiden victory I got when my first daughter her name was delivered was for her."
Medvedev, the past champion, had been defeated in his previous six title deciders, including in Halle in the past months.
The player's counter-punching approach and regular emotional displays on the tennis court had led observers to doubt if his capacity to compete at the elite level was concluded.
However the athlete has altered his approach in recent weeks, attempting to advance forward and perform positively, supported by an better serving game.
The champion recovered from a break down in the opening set against the challenging opponent, winning four of the final five exchanges to take the lead.
The competitors swapped breaks in the middle set before the challenger, striving for his initial tour championship, took control to force a final set.
He defended four early-game break points in a close final set before Medvedev secured a break to 15 to serve for the match.
Appropriately, he clinched the title with a shot at the net, with Moutet incapable to handle a return after a lengthy match.
