Comeback Daniil Medvedev Claims First Title in 882 Days
Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's twenty-one victories have been won on hard surfaces
A comeback Daniil Medvedev claimed his initial trophy for 882 days with a win over opponent Moutet in the tournament final.
The Russian, a former world number one, has experienced a challenging period, achieving just a single victory at the big events and experiencing a setback at the US Open.
The player's varied form on the tennis tour - and struggles with his serving in particular - resulted in him exiting of the world's top 10 and eventually parting ways with former trainer his previous coach.
Presently working with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, he has gradually progressed in the last few weeks - climaxing in a tightly fought competitive triumph over Frenchman Moutet.
This represents the player's maiden trophy following the Rome competition and first on a hard surface since March of 2023.
Success also means Medvedev has achieved twenty-one titles at 21 various competitions.
"This marks the first occasion I have attended a tournament with my two daughters at once, so to win a trophy is particularly special," commented ranked player the champion.
"This championship is in dedication of my child Victoria, because the first title I achieved when my first daughter Alisa was delivered was for her."
The tennis star, the former major winner, had lost his last six finals, including in Halle in the past months.
His counter-punching strategy and regular reactions on the playing surface had prompted some to wonder if his skill to compete at the elite level was finished.
But the 29-year-old has altered his approach in the last few weeks, making an effort to advance forward and play aggressively, supported by an better serving game.
Medvedev recovered from a disadvantage in the opening set against the tricky Frenchman, winning four of the concluding five exchanges to take the lead.
Both players traded break points in the following set before Moutet, attempting for his initial tour title, took control to force a third set.
He defended four early opportunities in a tight final set before the champion broke to 15 to close out the victory.
Fittingly, he secured the title with a point at the front of the court, with the Frenchman failing to handle a shot after two hours and 38 minutes.
