19 of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one championships have been achieved on hard surfaces
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev won his first championship for 882 days with a win over Frenchman Moutet in the Almaty Open championship match.
The Russian, a former top-ranked player, has experienced a challenging year, achieving just one match at the Grand Slams and undergoing a setback at the New York tournament.
His varied form on the tennis tour - and difficulties with his serve in specific - led to him dropping out of the elite rankings and finally splitting with former coach Gilles Cervara.
Presently training with his coach and his other coach, he has consistently advanced in the past month - climaxing in a closely contested 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over Frenchman Moutet.
This represents his maiden trophy since the 2023 Rome Masters and maiden on a hardcourt from that period of that year.
Victory also means Medvedev has won 21 titles at 21 various competitions.
"It's the first time I'm at a competition with my both daughters at once, so to secure a championship is really nice," commented tennis professional Daniil Medvedev.
"This victory is in honour of my second daughter Victoria, because the first title I got when my older daughter my daughter was born was for her."
The athlete, the 2021 US Open champion, had lost his past six finals, featuring in the German tournament previously this season.
The player's defensive strategy and recurring reactions on the tennis court had prompted some to wonder if his capacity to perform at the highest level was concluded.
However the player has made changes in the last few weeks, making an effort to advance forward and play positively, supported by an enhanced serve.
He fought back from a disadvantage in the first set against the challenging Moutet, securing 4 of the last five points to gain the advantage.
The pair traded breaks in the following set before Moutet, bidding for his first tour title, gained dominance to push for a final set.
Moutet saved four early-game break points in a close third set before the champion won the break to 15 to secure the win.
Appropriately, the winner clinched the title with a shot at the front of the court, with his opponent unable to manage a volley after a lengthy match.
