19 of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one championships have been achieved on hard courts
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev secured his maiden trophy for 882 days with a win over Frenchman Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
Medvedev, a former number one, has had a challenging season, achieving just one match at the big events and experiencing a meltdown at the New York tournament.
His varied form on the professional circuit - and issues with his serving in specific - resulted in him dropping out of the world's top 10 and finally separating with long-term coach Gilles Cervara.
Now collaborating with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, Medvedev has steadily advanced in the last few weeks - culminating in a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 triumph over opponent Moutet.
It is his initial title since the Italian tournament and first on a hardcourt from that period of that year.
The win also means the Russian has won 21 victories at twenty-one various competitions.
"For the first time I am participating in a competition with my two daughters simultaneously, so to win a trophy is especially meaningful," said ranked player Medvedev.
"This championship is in dedication of my younger daughter Victoria, because the first title I got when my first daughter Alisa was delivered was for her."
The tennis star, the 2021 US Open champion, had lost his previous six championship matches, including in the German tournament in the past months.
The player's defensive approach and regular reactions on the playing surface had prompted some to wonder if his ability to perform at the elite level was concluded.
However the 29-year-old has altered his approach in the last few weeks, making an effort to approach the net and play assertively, reinforced by an improved serving game.
Medvedev fought back from a break down in the first set against the difficult Frenchman, winning 4 of the last five points to take the lead.
Both players exchanged service breaks in the middle set before Moutet, striving for his first tour championship, gained dominance to push for a final set.
He saved four initial opportunities in a close third set before the champion secured a break to 15 to secure the win.
Fittingly, Medvedev earned the title with a point at the front of the court, with the Frenchman unable to manage a volley after a lengthy match.
