Comeback Medvedev Secures Maiden Championship in Nearly 30 Months
19 of Daniil Medvedev's 21 victories have been won on hard courts
A comeback Daniil Medvedev claimed his maiden championship for over two years with a win over opponent Moutet in the Almaty Open championship match.
The athlete, a former world number one, has experienced a challenging period, achieving just one win at the major tournaments and experiencing a setback at the New York tournament.
Medvedev's varied form on the tennis tour - and struggles with his service game in especial - led to him exiting of the world's top 10 and ultimately separating with former trainer Gilles Cervara.
Currently training with Thomas Johansson and his other coach, he has steadily progressed in the recent weeks - culminating in a tightly fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 triumph over opponent Moutet.
It is the player's initial trophy after the 2023 Rome Masters and first on a hard court from that period of the previous year.
Victory also indicates he has secured 21 titles at 21 different tournaments.
"This marks the first occasion I am participating in a tournament with my both daughters at once, so to win a trophy is particularly special," commented tennis professional Medvedev.
"This title is in honour of my second daughter my daughter, because the maiden victory I won when my older daughter Alisa was born was for her."
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, had lost his previous six championship matches, featuring in the German tournament in the past months.
The player's defensive play style and frequent reactions on the playing surface had caused some to wonder if his ability to perform at the highest level was finished.
But the athlete has altered his approach in recent weeks, striving to approach the net and perform positively, supported by an improved serve.
He came back from a break down in the initial set against the challenging Moutet, taking four of the final five exchanges to take the lead.
Both players exchanged break points in the middle set before the challenger, striving for his initial ATP Tour championship, seized the initiative to force a third set.
Moutet defended 4 early-game chances in a close deciding set before the Russian secured a break to that score to serve for the match.
Appropriately, the winner secured the win with a point at the front of the court, with Moutet incapable to handle a return after a lengthy match.
