They say that winning is habit-forming. This is certainly the case for Kim Song I of DPR Korea. On Sunday at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Pyongyang Open, the world #17 won the women's singles title. Again. In fact, Kim has won the event each summer since 2016. For those of you keeping score at home, that makes four consecutive years in which she has captured the title. In 2016, Kim also upended the order of merit to capture bronze in the women's singles at the Rio Olympics. Her old-school chopping game proved insurmountable to higher-ranked players Kasumi Ishikawa and Ai Fukuhara of Japan, the latter of whom she beat in the bronze medal match. Such was the case for compatriot Pyon Song Gong, who at 18 is six years Kim's junior and ranked a distant #257 in the world. Despite her relative lack of experience, Pyon's spirited attacks made life interesting for Kim. Especially noteworthy was Pyon's ability to initiate a topspin attack against heavy chop with a backhand loop. In the end, the inherent advantages of incumbency allowed Kim to pull out the match, 14-12, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9. With such a solid track record at home, this dauntless defender will be looking to defend her title as long as possible. Kim will also be looking to add to her medal collection in the Tokyo Olympics next summer. After all, winning is such a notoriously hard habit to break.

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