Corentin Moutet notched his 28th win of the season on Wednesday in Almaty, taking out Alexander Shevchenko 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
The Frenchman came back from double-break down in the opening set to improve to 4-0 lifetime against Shevchenko with another gritty, determined effort.
The 26-year-old has now amassed twice as many wins as he has in any other season on tour (28-21), as well as his first two Top 10 wins, and he explained what he believes to be the secret to his success after his win.
“The difference is that this year I wasn’t injured,” he said. “We worked very hard with my team. It was frustrating because the last few years I couldn’t play a full year… I was sure that if I avoided injury, because I’m very serious and dedicated to the sport, I would have a great year.”
That is surely a part of it.
At times last in 2023, Moutet was so down physically that he was playing with a one-handed backhand as he recovered from wrist surgery. The road back has been difficult, but this year he’s been able to play in 22 events, crack the Top 40 for the first time, and make his Davis Cup debut for France, where he won both his singles matches.
There’s likely more to it than just good health. Moutet is also maturing as a competitor, and not allowing distractions to affect him during matches. He’s still artistic and passionate, but now his mental toughness has become a significant part of his identity as well.
He’s been a joy to watch this season, and if he keeps it up, he could one day take his place in the Top 20, and surely he’ll find a way to win a title on tour. He was close in Mallorca this summer, where he reached his first final since 2020.
Moutet will take on either Karen Khachanov or Jan-Lennard Struff next in Almaty.
In other action on Wednesday at the ATP 250 event in Kazakhstan, James Duckworth upset last year’s runner-up Gabriel Diallo 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals, while Flavio Cobolli took out Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 7-5, also to reach the last eight.
Jan-Lennard Struff took down Mackenzie McDonald to set a second-round clash with Daniil Medvedev, while Fabian Marozsan (d. Nakashima), Alex Michelsen (d. Zhukayev), Shintaro Mochizuki (d. Cazaux) also advanced.
