Resurgent Medvedev Claims First Title in 882 Days
19 of the Russian's twenty-one titles have been earned on hard courts
A revitalized the Russian player claimed his initial title for nearly 30 months with a win over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
Medvedev, a former world number one, has experienced a challenging season, winning just one win at the major tournaments and experiencing a meltdown at the US Open.
Medvedev's inconsistency on the tennis tour - and struggles with his serve in especial - led to him exiting of the elite rankings and finally parting ways with former coach Gilles Cervara.
Presently collaborating with his coach and his other coach, Medvedev has steadily advanced in the past month - culminating in a tightly fought competitive win over challenger Moutet.
This marks his maiden championship after the Italian tournament and first on a hard surface since March of the previous year.
Victory also means the Russian has won 21 victories at twenty-one distinct events.
"It's the first time I am participating in a event with my two daughters together, so to secure a title is especially meaningful," said tennis professional the champion.
"This championship is in dedication of my child Victoria, because the first title I won when my first daughter her name was born was for her."
Medvedev, the past champion, had failed in his last six championship matches, featuring in Halle in the past months.
The player's defensive approach and frequent emotional displays on the tennis court had prompted commentators to doubt if his ability to perform at the highest level was finished.
But the player has altered his approach in the last few weeks, making an effort to come to the net and perform aggressively, supported by an enhanced serving game.
He fought back from a disadvantage in the first set against the challenging opponent, taking 4 of the concluding five games to go ahead.
The competitors exchanged service breaks in the following set before the Frenchman, bidding for his first ATP Tour title, gained dominance to push for a final set.
Moutet saved 4 initial chances in a competitive deciding set before the champion broke to 15 to secure the win.
Fittingly, Medvedev secured the win with a shot at the net, with Moutet incapable to handle a return after over two and a half hours.