Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one victories have been earned on hard courts
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev secured his initial trophy for over two years with success over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
The athlete, a ex- top-ranked player, has had a torrid year, managing just one win at the Grand Slams and undergoing a meltdown at the US Open.
Medvedev's unpredictability on the tennis tour - and struggles with his serving in particular - led to him dropping out of the elite rankings and eventually splitting with former coach Cervara.
Now collaborating with Johansson and Goetzke, he has consistently advanced in the last few weeks - peaking in a tightly fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 triumph over challenger Moutet.
It is Medvedev's maiden trophy after the Italian tournament and maiden on a hard surface from spring of 2023.
The win also means the Russian has secured twenty-one victories at twenty-one distinct competitions.
"This marks the first occasion I have attended a competition with my two daughters at once, so to secure a trophy is really nice," said tennis professional Medvedev.
"This victory is in dedication of my second daughter Victoria, because the initial championship I achieved when my first daughter Alisa was born was for her."
Medvedev, the former major winner, had failed in his previous six championship matches, including in the German tournament previously this season.
The player's counter-punching play style and recurring outbursts on the tennis court had prompted commentators to question if his capacity to play at the elite level was concluded.
Yet the 29-year-old has implemented adjustments in the last few weeks, making an effort to come to the net and compete aggressively, supported by an improved serving game.
He came back from a disadvantage in the opening set against the challenging opponent, securing 4 of the concluding five points to gain the advantage.
Both players exchanged service breaks in the middle set before Moutet, striving for his maiden ATP Tour title, gained dominance to force a final set.
Moutet saved four initial break points in a tight final set before the Russian broke to that score to serve for the match.
Suitably, he clinched victory with a shot at the net area, with the Frenchman incapable to control a shot after two hours and 38 minutes.
