Resurgent Medvedev Claims First Championship in 882 Days
Nineteen of the Russian's twenty-one victories have been achieved on hardcourt
A comeback the Russian player secured his maiden trophy for nearly 30 months with victory over opponent Moutet in the Almaty Open title decider.
Medvedev, a former world number one, has had a torrid year, managing just a single victory at the Grand Slams and experiencing a meltdown at the American major.
The player's varied form on the ATP Tour - and issues with his serve in particular - led to him dropping out of the top ten and eventually parting ways with long-time trainer Gilles Cervara.
Now working with Thomas Johansson and Goetzke, he has steadily advanced in the last few weeks - climaxing in a closely contested three-set win over Frenchman Moutet.
This represents the player's initial trophy following the Rome competition and initial on a hard court since March of 2023.
The win also indicates Medvedev has achieved 21 victories at twenty-one distinct competitions.
"It's the first time I am participating in a event with my both daughters simultaneously, so to win a championship is really nice," said world number 14 Medvedev.
"This championship is in dedication of my child her name, because the initial championship I achieved when my child Alisa was born was for her."
The tennis star, the former major winner, had been defeated in his last six title deciders, comprising in that event earlier this year.
His defensive approach and recurring reactions on the tennis court had prompted some to doubt if his capacity to compete at the top level was finished.
But the athlete has altered his approach in recent weeks, attempting to come to the net and perform positively, supported by an enhanced service.
He recovered from a break down in the opening set against the difficult Moutet, taking four of the last five exchanges to gain the advantage.
Both players swapped service breaks in the middle set before Moutet, attempting for his first ATP Tour championship, seized the initiative to force a final set.
The opponent rescued four initial break points in a competitive deciding set before the Russian broke to fifteen to close out the victory.
Fittingly, he secured the win with a shot at the front of the court, with Moutet unable to control a return after a lengthy match.
