Top seed Daniil Medvedev came from behind to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday, defending his Almaty Open title and claiming his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year.

The victory boosted Medvedev‘s chances of securing early qualification for the ATP Finals, which he won in 2020.

Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton have already qualified for the season-ending tournament, while injured Jannik Sinner will miss the eight-player event in Turin, scheduled for November 15-22.

“I always said, it’s just a matter of luck, time, moment,” Medvedev said after recording the first successful title defence of his career.

“I was feeling fresh, I was feeling physically good… I’m happy to finally do it, I guess,” the 30-year-old added.

The former US Open champion saved two set points to force a tiebreak in the opening set. However, qualifier Basilashvili, ranked 128th in the world, took the set with a powerful cross-court backhand after Medvedev missed two attempted winners.

Medvedev responded impressively in the second set, dominating the rallies and targeting his opponent’s backhand. The Russian’s consistent pressure forced Basilashvili into several errors, allowing the defending champion to level the match.

The Georgian, playing in his first ATP Tour final since 2022, struggled under pressure in the deciding set. A backhand drop shot into the net gave Medvedev his first match point before Basilashvili sent a baseline shot wide to hand the Russian victory.

Medvedev will next compete at the Vienna Open, which begins on Monday, before turning his attention to the Paris Masters, starting on October 31. He will aim to secure his place at the ATP Finals in Turin through his performances in the upcoming tournaments.