According to "Varzesh3", Daniil Medvedev, the Russian star and world No. 5 in tennis, on Sunday night in a thrilling three-set final defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili, the Georgian tennis player and surprise package of the Almaty tournament, and for the fourth time in the 2026 season tasted the sweet flavor of a championship on the ATP Tour. Medvedev, who had entered this 250-point tournament as the top seed, after dropping the first set won 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 and 6-3 to lift the championship trophy at the Almaty Arena after an hour and 53 minutes of battle.
However, the Russian star's path to the title was not so smooth. Basilashvili, the world No. 128 who had fought his way from the qualifying rounds to the final, produced a performance beyond expectations in the first set and, with stubborn resistance against Medvedev's shots, dragged the fate of the set to a tiebreak. The Georgian tennis player won this close battle 8-6, and by taking the opening set, sounded the alarm for the main title contender.
But the second set turned into a scene of Medvedev's ruthless show of power! The Russian star, who did not want to lose the chance to capture his fourth trophy of the season, took complete control by increasing the pressure on his opponent's serves and shining in the return games. Medvedev closed out the second set decisively, 6-1, so that Basilashvili's championship dream faced a serious challenge.
In the decisive set, too, Medvedev's superiority continued. Maintaining his focus and taking advantage of the crucial opportunities, he broke the Georgian opponent's serve once again and did not allow Basilashvili back into the match. The Russian star finally completed his spectacular comeback with a 6-3 win in the third set and, amid the cheers of the spectators, added another championship to his professional record.
The match statistics also told of Medvedev's clear superiority. He recorded 22 aces during the final and, despite four double faults, managed to convert four of his 10 break-point opportunities. In contrast, Basilashvili had only three aces and committed three double faults. Medvedev also, by registering 26 winners against his opponent's 17 winners, showed that he had greater control over the flow of the match at the decisive moments.
Of course, Basilashvili, despite losing in the final, was one of the shining figures of this edition of the tournament. The Georgian tennis player, who had entered the main draw from the qualifying rounds, pulled off a big surprise in the semifinals by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek star, and reached the final. On the other side, Medvedev had obtained his ticket to the final after Alexander Bublik's right knee injury and the Kazakh tennis player's withdrawal from the semifinal match.
The title in Almaty marked Medvedev's fourth title of the 2026 season and also brought him 250 valuable ATP ranking points. With this victory, the Russian star once again displayed his ability to come through difficult circumstances and, by successfully defending his championship title, reached one of the most successful stretches of his season.
With the end of the singles competition, the file of the ninth day and the final stage of the Almaty tournament was also closed. Earlier, in the doubles section, Yuki Bhambri of India and Ryan Seggerman of the United States had won the title by defeating the Austrian pair of Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner, so that the Almaty tournament, after nine days of competition, came to an end with Medvedev's coronation in the singles.
Source: Varzesh3
