Daniil Medvedev successfully defended his Almaty Open title on Sunday, rebounding after dropping the opening set to defeat qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3. The victory secured the top seed his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the season and marked the first successful title defense of his career.
The victory provides a timely boost for the world number five as he attempts to secure an early berth at the eight-man season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled for Nov. 15-22. Medvedev, who won the tournament in 2020, is attempting to join Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton, who have already qualified. Injured star Jannik Sinner will not feature in the event.
Reflecting on achieving his first back-to-back title win, the 30-year-old former US Open champion shared his satisfaction after the match. “I always said, it’s just a matter of luck, time, moment,” Medvedev said. “I was feeling fresh, I was feeling physically good… I’m happy to finally do it I guess,” he added with a smile.
In the opening set, Medvedev saved two set points to force a tiebreak. However, two netted winner attempts cost him, allowing Basilashvili—ranked 128th globally—to claim the set with a powerful cross-court backhand winner. Basilashvili was appearing in his first tour final since 2022.
Medvedev seized control in the second set by dictating backhand exchanges and putting pressure on his opponent, causing the Georgian to commit repeated unforced errors. The baseline pressure carried into the decider, where a nervous Basilashvili netted a drop shot to hand Medvedev match point before hitting wide from the baseline. Medvedev will continue his pursuit of a Turin spot at the Vienna Open starting Monday, followed by the Paris Masters from Oct. 31.
In women’s tennis, top seed Elena Rybakina claimed the Ningbo Open title with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez on Sunday. The win marked Rybakina’s first trophy since rising to world number one and her fourth title of the season, bringing her career total to 15. It also reinforced her push to secure the year-end top ranking following a stellar year featuring Australian Open and US Open victories.
“It’s amazing to play in front of you… it’s my second year here and my second win,” the Kazakh star told the crowd in the eastern Chinese city after retaining her crown. “It’s such a special place for me. Thanks so much Ningbo.” The victory serves as a strong rebound from recent setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan.
Rybakina used her characteristic power to break Fernandez in the fifth game before hitting a blistering crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, taking the first set in 38 minutes. World number 30 Fernandez showed early fight in the second set, but the three-time Grand Slam winner absorbed the pressure, raised her game to break for 2-1, and cruised to the finish. Rybakina now heads to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before defending her title at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California, beginning Nov. 8. TRADEMARK POWER: Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set.
