19 of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one championships have been earned on hardcourt
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev won his first title for nearly 30 months with victory over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
The athlete, a former number one, has endured a torrid period, managing just one match at the Grand Slams and suffering a difficult moment at the US Open.
The player's inconsistency on the tennis tour - and struggles with his serve in specific - resulted in him dropping out of the top ten and ultimately separating with long-time coach Gilles Cervara.
Currently working with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the tennis star has gradually advanced in the past month - culminating in a tightly fought three-set win over opponent Moutet.
This represents the player's first title since the Rome competition and maiden on a hard surface from spring of that year.
Success also indicates the Russian has achieved 21 victories at twenty-one different competitions.
"For the first time I have attended a competition with my children at once, so to secure a trophy is really nice," stated world number 14 Medvedev.
"This championship is in dedication of my second daughter Victoria, because the maiden victory I achieved when my child Alisa was born was for her."
The athlete, the 2021 US Open champion, had been defeated in his last six title deciders, including in that event in the past months.
His counter-punching strategy and recurring reactions on the playing surface had caused observers to doubt if his capacity to perform at the highest level was finished.
However the player has altered his approach in the past month, making an effort to come to the net and play positively, reinforced by an improved serving game.
Medvedev fought back from a deficit in the first set against the tricky opponent, taking 4 of the final five points to take the lead.
Both players traded breaks in the second set before Moutet, attempting for his initial professional victory, seized the initiative to create a final set.
Moutet rescued 4 initial opportunities in a tight final set before the champion won the break to that score to close out the victory.
Suitably, he clinched victory with a shot at the front of the court, with his opponent unable to handle a shot after over two and a half hours.
