19 of Daniil Medvedev's 21 victories have been earned on hard courts
A revitalized Daniil Medvedev won his first trophy for nearly 30 months with a win over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
Medvedev, a ex- world number one, has had a difficult season, achieving just one match at the major tournaments and undergoing a setback at the US Open.
His varied form on the tennis tour - and struggles with his service game in especial - resulted in him falling of the world's top 10 and finally parting ways with long-time mentor Gilles Cervara.
Now working with Thomas Johansson and Goetzke, the tennis star has steadily advanced in the past month - culminating in a tightly fought three-set victory over Frenchman Moutet.
This represents his initial title following the Rome competition and maiden on a hard surface from spring of the previous year.
Victory also means Medvedev has won 21 titles at twenty-one different tournaments.
"For the first time I have attended a event with my children together, so to secure a championship is especially meaningful," said world number 14 Daniil Medvedev.
"This victory is in tribute of my second daughter Victoria, because the first title I achieved when my first daughter Alisa was born was for her."
The tennis star, the 2021 US Open champion, had been defeated in his past six finals, comprising in the German tournament earlier this year.
His counter-punching play style and recurring emotional displays on court had led observers to doubt if his ability to perform at the highest level was finished.
But the athlete has altered his approach in the past month, attempting to advance forward and compete assertively, supported by an better serve.
He recovered from a deficit in the first set against the challenging Frenchman, taking 4 of the final five games to gain the advantage.
The pair swapped service breaks in the middle set before Moutet, attempting for his first professional championship, seized the initiative to push for a third set.
The opponent saved four early opportunities in a close third set before the Russian won the break to that score to serve for the match.
Fittingly, Medvedev earned the title with a shot at the front of the court, with Moutet failing to control a shot after a lengthy match.
