Revitalized Daniil Medvedev Claims First Title in Over Two Years
19 of Medvedev's 21 victories have been won on hard surfaces
A comeback Medvedev won his maiden championship for nearly 30 months with victory over opponent Moutet in the Almaty Open championship match.
Medvedev, a ex- number one, has endured a difficult year, managing just one match at the major tournaments and suffering a meltdown at the New York tournament.
His inconsistency on the professional circuit - and issues with his service game in particular - resulted in him dropping out of the elite rankings and eventually splitting with long-time coach his previous coach.
Presently training with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, he has consistently improved in the past month - climaxing in a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 triumph over opponent Moutet.
This represents his maiden title since the Rome competition and maiden on a hard surface after spring of that year.
Success also means he has secured 21 victories at twenty-one different competitions.
"This marks the first occasion I'm at a competition with my two daughters simultaneously, so to get a trophy is especially meaningful," commented ranked player Daniil Medvedev.
"This championship is in tribute of my child Victoria, because the initial championship I achieved when my first daughter Alisa was delivered was for her."
The tennis star, the former major winner, had lost his last six championship matches, including in Halle previously this season.
The player's counter-punching play style and recurring emotional displays on the playing surface had prompted commentators to wonder if his ability to play at the elite level was over.
However the player has altered his approach in recent weeks, attempting to come to the net and perform assertively, backed up by an enhanced serve.
Medvedev came back from a break down in the initial set against the difficult Moutet, winning four of the last five points to take the lead.
The competitors swapped service breaks in the second set before Moutet, attempting for his first tour title, took control to force a final set.
He rescued four initial opportunities in a close deciding set before the Russian broke to fifteen to close out the victory.
Appropriately, he clinched the title with a rally at the net area, with Moutet incapable to manage a return after a lengthy match.
