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MARKHAM, Ontario (AP) — U.S. men's champion Yijun Feng won the first singles spot on the Olympic table tennis team by Saturday, beating fellow American Sharon Alguetti 11-4, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 in the North American Olympic trials.
The 19-year-old Feng, from Atlanta, had to rally in his opening round match against Kanak Jha of Milpitas, California, winning the last two games for a 4-3 victory. In the semifinals, Feng beat 2012 U.S.Timothy Wang, also of Atlanta, 4-1.
The three-day qualification tournament concludes Sunday with the American men playing for one more possible singles spot and doubles spot.
The American women are back in action Sunday. No U.S. women played Saturday to comply with U.S. Olympic qualification process that the third U.S. player to be selected for the team will be on the last day of the competition. On Friday, Lily Zhang of Palo Alto, California, won to join Yue "Jennifer" Wue of Fort Lee, New Jersey, as the two singles players in Brazil.
A day after losing to Canadian Pierre-Luc Theriault in the opening qualification tournament semifinals, Alguetti reversed the outcome with a 11-6 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 win to reach the final.
The 14-year-old Alguetti, from Tenafly, New Jersey, was stretched to the seven-game limit in his first- round match before beating Canadian Marko Medjugorac.
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