19 of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one titles have been achieved on hard surfaces
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev secured his first championship for nearly 30 months with a win over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
Medvedev, a ex- top-ranked player, has experienced a difficult season, managing just a single victory at the big events and suffering a setback at the New York tournament.
The player's unpredictability on the professional circuit - and struggles with his service game in particular - caused him falling of the world's top 10 and finally separating with long-time mentor his previous coach.
Currently working with his coach and Goetzke, Medvedev has steadily progressed in the last few weeks - culminating in a tightly fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over opponent Moutet.
This represents his initial title following the 2023 Rome Masters and first on a hard surface since that period of that year.
Success also indicates Medvedev has won twenty-one championships at twenty-one distinct tournaments.
"It's the first time I am participating in a tournament with my two daughters simultaneously, so to win a championship is really nice," commented ranked player Medvedev.
"This victory is in honour of my child my daughter, because the first title I achieved when my child her name was born was for her."
The athlete, the past champion, had been defeated in his past six finals, featuring in the German tournament earlier this year.
Medvedev's defensive approach and recurring reactions on the playing surface had prompted observers to question if his capacity to compete at the elite level was concluded.
However the athlete has made changes in the past month, striving to advance forward and play positively, backed up by an better service.
He recovered from a disadvantage in the opening set against the difficult Moutet, securing 4 of the concluding five games to take the lead.
Both players traded break points in the following set before the Frenchman, attempting for his initial professional victory, seized the initiative to create a third set.
The opponent defended 4 initial chances in a close deciding set before the champion broke to that score to secure the win.
Suitably, Medvedev clinched the title with a rally at the net area, with Moutet incapable to handle a return after two hours and 38 minutes.
