Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan defeated Lin Shidong of China 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5 in the men's singles final at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, to win the title.

Lin was chasing his third gold medal at the tournament after winning the men's team and the mixed doubles titles. He brushed aside Harimoto's compatriot Hiroto Shinozuka in the semifinals. Having played Harimoto three times before the final, Lin had one win and two losses.

Lin began the first game with a 5-1 lead and then extended it to six points (8-2), but then allowed a 6-0 run by his opponent due to a series of errors. Harimoto continued to play with better stability before clinching the game and leading 1-0 in the match.

Harimoto was continuously in the lead as the second game began, maintaining a four-point advantage despite Lin's fierce rally. He called a timeout when Lin cut the deficit to three (9-6) and then came back with aggressive attacks, scoring two straight points and leading 2-0 in the battle.

Having adjusted his strategy in Game 3, Lin started with a 7-1 lead and stood up to the counterstrikes of Harimoto who hit the net twice and lost the game.

Harimoto increased his use of pulling in the fourth game and Lin didn't have a good response to it. The Japanese paddler built a quick lead of 7-3 and then continued to stay in control. As Lin hit the net, he lost the match and the title to Harimoto.