Revitalized Medvedev Claims First Championship in Over Two Years
19 of the Russian's 21 championships have been achieved on hard surfaces
A revitalized Medvedev won his initial trophy for nearly 30 months with a win over Frenchman Moutet in the Almaty Open title decider.
The athlete, a ex- number one, has had a challenging period, winning just a single victory at the big events and experiencing a setback at the American major.
His unpredictability on the professional circuit - and struggles with his serve in especial - resulted in him falling of the elite rankings and eventually splitting with former trainer Cervara.
Now collaborating with his coach and Rohan Goetzke, he has gradually advanced in the last few weeks - culminating in a tightly fought three-set victory over opponent Moutet.
This marks his first championship since the Italian tournament and first on a hard surface since March of the previous year.
Success also means the Russian has achieved twenty-one championships at 21 different tournaments.
"This marks the first occasion I am participating in a event with my children simultaneously, so to win a title is especially meaningful," commented tennis professional Daniil Medvedev.
"This title is in tribute of my second daughter Victoria, because the maiden victory I won when my first daughter Alisa was born was for her."
The tennis star, the past champion, had lost his last six finals, featuring in Halle earlier this year.
His counter-punching play style and regular outbursts on the playing surface had led observers to wonder if his capacity to perform at the elite level was concluded.
But the 29-year-old has altered his approach in recent weeks, attempting to approach the net and perform aggressively, backed up by an better serving game.
He fought back from a break down in the first set against the tricky Frenchman, winning 4 of the concluding five points to go ahead.
The competitors swapped service breaks in the following set before the challenger, striving for his initial tour title, seized the initiative to create a third set.
The opponent rescued four early-game break points in a tight final set before the champion broke to fifteen to close out the victory.
Fittingly, Medvedev secured the win with a shot at the net area, with the Frenchman failing to handle a shot after a lengthy match.
