Former world number one Daniil Medvedev’s late-season surge sees the 29-year-old edge world No. 41 Corentin Moutet with a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win after two hours and 36 minutes, claiming his maiden title at the Almaty Open, his first in eight hundred and eighty-two days.
Back into winning ways after an inconsistent and controversial season, which resulted in a shocking early exit at the US Open, he dedicated his 21st ATP title, all won in different events, to his family.
“It is the first time I have been at a tournament with my two daughters and wife together, so to get a title is really nice,” outlined the second seed.
“This title is in honor of my second daughter, Victoria, because the first title I got when my first daughter, Alisa, was born was for her, so this one is for Victoria.”
The player, who decided to go separate ways with longtime coach Gilles Cervara last August, has found the form and rhythm he was lacking, starting a partnership with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke to come back to action with a consistent quarterfinal run in Hangzhou.
During the Asian swing, he advanced to the semifinals at the China Open and the Rolex Shanghai Masters, confidence-building results in the lead up to a challenging campaign in Kazakhstan, where he snapped a six-match losing streak in hardcourt semifinals.
“Every match here feels like a new challenge,” asserted the five-time major finalist after beating Australian James Duckworth in the last four.
“The crowd has been great, very supportive. It’s my first time competing here, so I’m still getting familiar with everything, but overall, I’m happy with the way I fought and closed out the match.”
The Championship Match as It Happened
Without capturing a title on tour for over two years, Medvedev stepped to the court on Sunday to face off against in-form Moutet, who defeated the Russian player at the Citi Open quarterfinals in Washington last July.
The eight seed came out firing, breaking early and holding to open a 2-0 lead.
The former US Open winner stayed sharp behind his serve, but so did his opponent, until Medvedev rallied to convert his first break in the eighth game, backing it up to inch ahead 5-4.
In the twelve-game, he broke twice to avoid a potential tiebreaker, sealing the opener 7-5 in 51 minutes.
Playing with aggression from the baseline, finding depth and precision in his game, helped him take four of the final five games in vintage mode.
The Parisian player pushed the reset button and kicked up a level to set off the second set with an early break and once again held to earn a 2-0 advantage.
Then, they went toe-to-toe, exchanging breaks between the sixth and seventh game, which the 26-year-old converted with his backhand forcing shot, going the distance to level the championship match one set apiece, forcing a decider.
In a close third set, Medvedev stepped up the pressure, but his rival rose to the occasion, holding his ground with authority, leading to nail-biting, lengthy games.
Eventually, the relentless 2020 Nitto ATP Final champion converted a clinical break in the eighth game on the forehand,
Also, he moved forward often throughout the final, closing out the set and the match with a volley, tasting glory for the first time since achieving his first title on the clay surface in Rome, dating back to 2023.
The resurgent champion broke new ground in Almaty, surging to victory in his maiden appearance at the ATP 250 tournament, playing in the fast-playing conditions of the Almaty Arena hard courts, his favorite surface.
All in all, he hit 34 winners against 15 unforced errors compared to Moutet’s 29 and 9, respectively.
The day before the final, he reflected on his season in Almaty, stressing, “I would have preferred to have a great year, like the years before, but it’s all a part of life.
“Every time I’m on court, I try to win, and at one moment this season, it was not working, I was not winning; now I’m happy that I managed to keep winning.”
Next, he will compete at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, where former champion Jannik Sinner headlines the field of the ATP 500 venue.