Revitalized Daniil Medvedev Claims First Championship in Nearly 30 Months
Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's 21 championships have been won on hard surfaces
A comeback Medvedev secured his first title for over two years with a win over Frenchman Moutet in the competition final.
Medvedev, a former top-ranked player, has experienced a challenging period, managing just one win at the big events and undergoing a meltdown at the US Open.
The player's unpredictability on the professional circuit - and issues with his service game in particular - caused him falling of the elite rankings and ultimately separating with long-term mentor Gilles Cervara.
Now training with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the tennis star has consistently advanced in the recent weeks - peaking in a hard-fought competitive triumph over opponent Moutet.
This represents his first championship following the Italian tournament and maiden on a hard court after that period of the previous year.
Victory also indicates the Russian has won twenty-one victories at twenty-one various competitions.
"For the first time I'm at a tournament with my two daughters together, so to secure a title is really nice," stated ranked player Daniil Medvedev.
"This championship is in honour of my second daughter Victoria, because the maiden victory I achieved when my older daughter Alisa was born was for her."
The athlete, the past champion, had been defeated in his previous six finals, featuring in the German tournament previously this season.
His defensive play style and frequent outbursts on court had caused commentators to question if his ability to compete at the top level was concluded.
However the athlete has made changes in the last few weeks, striving to advance forward and compete positively, backed up by an better serving game.
Medvedev fought back from a break down in the opening set against the tricky Moutet, securing four of the last five points to take the lead.
The pair exchanged service breaks in the middle set before the Frenchman, attempting for his initial ATP Tour title, gained dominance to create a third set.
He defended 4 early-game break points in a close deciding set before Medvedev secured a break to 15 to close out the victory.
Fittingly, Medvedev clinched the title with a rally at the net, with his opponent failing to manage a shot after over two and a half hours.
