Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto beat China’s Lin Shidong 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5 in the men’s singles final at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday to win the title.
Lin was aiming for his third gold medal at the tournament after winning the men’s team and mixed doubles titles. He brushed aside Harimoto’s compatriot Hiroto Shinozuka in the semifinals. After facing Harimoto three times before the final, Lin recorded one win and two losses.
Lin started the first game with a 5-1 lead, then extended it to six points (8-2), but then allowed his opponent to lead 6-0 due to a series of errors. Harimoto continued to play with better stability before winning the match and leading 1-0 in the match.
Harimoto continually led at the start of the second game, maintaining a four-point advantage despite Lin’s fierce rally. He called a timeout when Lin narrowed the gap to three (9-6), then came back with aggressive attacks, scoring two consecutive points and leading 2-0 in the battle.
After adjusting his strategy in the third game, Lin started with a 7-1 lead and withstood counterattacks from Harimoto who hit the net twice and lost the match.
Harimoto increased his use of the draw during the fourth game and Lin didn’t have a good response. The Japanese paddler quickly took a 7-3 lead and then continued to maintain control. When Lin hit the net, he lost the match and the title to Harimoto.
