Nineteen of Daniil Medvedev's 21 titles have been earned on hardcourt
A resurgent Daniil Medvedev secured his maiden championship for over two years with a win over Corentin Moutet in the tournament final.
Medvedev, a ex- world number one, has endured a difficult season, winning just one match at the Grand Slams and suffering a meltdown at the US Open.
His inconsistency on the ATP Tour - and issues with his serve in particular - led to him dropping out of the elite rankings and finally splitting with long-time mentor Gilles Cervara.
Now collaborating with Thomas Johansson and his other coach, he has consistently progressed in the last few weeks - peaking in a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over opponent Corentin Moutet.
It is Medvedev's first trophy following the Italian tournament and maiden on a hard court since that period of the previous year.
Success also means he has won 21 victories at twenty-one different competitions.
"It's the first time I have attended a event with my children together, so to win a title is really nice," said ranked player Medvedev.
"This victory is in dedication of my second daughter Victoria, because the first title I won when my older daughter her name was delivered was for her."
The tennis star, the former major winner, had failed in his past six title deciders, including in that event in the past months.
Medvedev's counter-punching strategy and frequent outbursts on the tennis court had caused observers to wonder if his skill to perform at the highest level was finished.
But the 29-year-old has altered his approach in recent weeks, making an effort to advance forward and play aggressively, supported by an enhanced serving game.
The champion fought back from a break down in the opening set against the tricky opponent, taking four of the final five points to go ahead.
Both players swapped break points in the second set before the challenger, bidding for his first tour title, seized the initiative to create a final set.
He defended four early-game chances in a close final set before Medvedev secured a break to that score to serve for the match.
Appropriately, Medvedev secured the win with a rally at the net area, with his opponent incapable to manage a volley after two hours and 38 minutes.
