Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's 21 championships have been earned on hardcourt
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev claimed his maiden championship for 882 days with success over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open title decider.
The Russian, a ex- number one, has endured a difficult season, winning just one win at the major tournaments and experiencing a difficult moment at the New York tournament.
His unpredictability on the professional circuit - and difficulties with his serve in especial - caused him exiting of the world's top 10 and eventually parting ways with long-time coach Gilles Cervara.
Now collaborating with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the tennis star has consistently progressed in the last few weeks - culminating in a hard-fought three-set triumph over Frenchman Moutet.
This represents the player's initial title after the Italian tournament and maiden on a hard surface since that period of the previous year.
Success also indicates the Russian has secured 21 titles at 21 various events.
"It's the first time I'm at a event with my children at once, so to secure a championship is really nice," commented ranked player Medvedev.
"This title is in honour of my second daughter her name, because the initial championship I got when my child Alisa was born was for her."
The tennis star, the 2021 US Open champion, had been defeated in his previous six finals, including in the German tournament in the past months.
His retrieving approach and frequent emotional displays on court had prompted observers to doubt if his ability to compete at the top level was concluded.
However the 29-year-old has made changes in the last few weeks, striving to advance forward and play assertively, reinforced by an better serving game.
The champion recovered from a deficit in the opening set against the difficult Moutet, taking four of the last five exchanges to take the lead.
Both players traded breaks in the middle set before Moutet, attempting for his initial ATP Tour championship, seized the initiative to create a decider.
Moutet saved four early-game break points in a competitive deciding set before the champion won the break to that score to secure the win.
Fittingly, he secured the win with a shot at the front of the court, with his opponent failing to manage a shot after a lengthy match.
