Daniil Medvedev has defended a title on the ATP Tour for the first time in his career after defeating Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili to win the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan.
The former world No.1 and US Open champion dropped the opening set against qualifier Basilashvili before fighting back to win 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3. Medvedev has now won 38 hardcourt matches at ATP Tour-level this season, which is more than any other player. He is the first person to win back-to-back titles at the ATP 250 event.
“It is just a matter of time, luck, a moment,” Medvedev said of his title defence. “I was feeling fresh, physically good. Sascha [Bublik] being injured in the semis gave me an extra push in the final and I am happy to finally do it.”
Medvedev sealed victory with the help of 26 winners against 20 unforced errors, winning 82% of his first service points. He was also able to take advantage of Basilashvili’s unforced error count of 40. The qualifier was playing in his first Tour final since May 2021 and is currently ranked 128th in the world.
“It was not easy but I had my chances in the first set. I got a bit unlucky,” Medvedev commented. “I knew I would probably have my chances to turn the match around and it was not easy. But I am happy to win.”
The victory has boosted Medvedev’s chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals, which he won in 2020. He is currently fifth in the race, with only the top eight guaranteed to play in the event.
Medvedev is the third player this season to win four or more titles after Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton. He also won the Brisbane International, the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Hangzhou Open. Overall, he has won 25 ATP trophies in his career so far.
The Russian is set to play next at the Vienna Open, which will also feature Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Flavio Cobolli and Alex de Minaur in the draw. His opening match will be against Spain’s Daniel Merida.
