When the Chinese national table tennis team arrives at an international tournament, they mean business. At the 2019 ITTF-ATTU Asian Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, China's overarching mission was to win the team events, and with them the automatic bids to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Both the Chinese women's and men's teams did so in emphatic fashion, never allowing their respective finalist opponents Japan and Republic of Korea to mount a serious charge. In every non-team event, the final featured a China-vs.-China matchup. On Saturday, September 21, Lin Gaoyuan and Liang Jingkun won the men's doubles, while Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen claimed the mixed doubles title. Sunday, September 22 saw 18-year-old Sun Yingsha defeat her more experienced teammates to win the women's singes title. Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling also won the women's doubles crown. In the men's singles semifinals on Sunday, one matchup Chinese teammates Fan Zhendong and Lin Gaoyuan facing off, the latter advancing. This meant it was entirely up to Xu Xin to assure a sweep for China when he faced Japanese wunderkind Tomokazu Harimoto in the other semifinal. Harimoto, 16 years of age, is no pushover, ranked fifth in the world. Against 29-year-old Xu Xin, however, he has yet to find the winning formula, as the world #1 Xu prevailed in straight sets, (11-4, 11-9, 11-9). “My mission was completed at semi-finals," said Xu Xin, reflecting his team-first mentality. "Against Lin Gaoyuan I was more relaxed.” Of course, a more relaxed Xu Xin is not necessarily any easier to beat. In fact, with his acrobatic defense and devil-may-care sidespin counterloops, a laid-back Xu Xin is more dangerous than most players in full-on attack mode. Just ask Lin Gaoyuan, Xu Xin's fellow lefty Chinese player to reach the final. Xu's irrepressible mid-range topspin wore down Lin's off-the-bounce attacking, as Xu secured the title with a (11-6, 6-11, 11-2, 11-8) scoreline. While playing in an international final is intensely competitive, these teammates will of course root for each other at the next event. After all, someone has to win, and it's nothing personal. Just business. As usual.

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