Medvedev Survives Moutet Scare in Almaty Thriller: Russian Star Fights Back From Brink
Medvedev survives Moutet scare in Almaty thriller

In a heart-stopping encounter that had fans on the edge of their seats, Daniil Medvedev produced a remarkable escape act to avoid a major upset at the Almaty Open.

The top-seeded Russian, currently ranked world number three, found himself in serious trouble against Frenchman Corentin Moutet before mounting an impressive comeback to win 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Early Struggles for the Favourite

Medvedev appeared out of sorts in the opening set, struggling to find his rhythm against the unpredictable left-handed game of Moutet. The Frenchman capitalised on numerous unforced errors from his opponent, breaking serve twice to comfortably take the first set 6-2.

"It was one of those matches where nothing seemed to work initially," Medvedev later reflected. "Moutet was playing exceptional tennis and I couldn't find my range."

The Turning Point

The momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as Medvedev began to find his trademark consistency. Both players held serve until the crucial eleventh game, where the Russian finally broke Moutet's resistance to take the set 7-5.

The final set saw Medvedev's experience and superior firepower ultimately prove decisive, breaking early and maintaining his advantage to close out the match after two hours and twenty minutes of intense battle.

What Comes Next?

With this hard-fought victory, Medvedev advances to the quarter-finals where he'll face either Sebastian Korda or Alexander Bublik. The tournament represents an important opportunity for the former world number one to build momentum ahead of the season's final Masters events.

The dramatic nature of this contest serves as a reminder that even the sport's biggest stars can never take victory for granted on the ATP Tour.