Revitalized Medvedev Secures Maiden Title in Nearly 30 Months
Nineteen of Medvedev's 21 titles have been achieved on hardcourt
A comeback Medvedev secured his first title for over two years with victory over Corentin Moutet in the competition championship match.
The athlete, a ex- top-ranked player, has experienced a challenging season, achieving just one match at the big events and suffering a difficult moment at the American major.
His unpredictability on the ATP Tour - and issues with his serve in particular - led to him falling of the top ten and finally parting ways with former mentor Gilles Cervara.
Currently training with his coach and Rohan Goetzke, he has consistently advanced in the past month - culminating in a closely contested 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over challenger Moutet.
This represents the player's maiden trophy following the Rome competition and first on a hard surface from that period of the previous year.
The win also means Medvedev has achieved twenty-one championships at 21 different tournaments.
"This marks the first occasion I am participating in a tournament with my children simultaneously, so to secure a trophy is especially meaningful," said ranked player the champion.
"This victory is in honour of my child Victoria, because the maiden victory I won when my child her name was delivered was for her."
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, had been defeated in his previous six championship matches, including in the German tournament earlier this year.
His defensive strategy and regular emotional displays on the playing surface had prompted commentators to question if his ability to perform at the elite level was concluded.
However the player has implemented adjustments in the past month, making an effort to come to the net and perform aggressively, supported by an better service.
Medvedev recovered from a deficit in the initial set against the tricky Moutet, securing 4 of the last five points to take the lead.
The pair exchanged service breaks in the middle set before the challenger, striving for his initial professional championship, took control to push for a decider.
The opponent saved four early-game break points in a close deciding set before the Russian secured a break to that score to secure the win.
Appropriately, Medvedev secured the title with a rally at the front of the court, with Moutet failing to control a shot after a lengthy match.