LI's table tennis prodigy finishes in fifth place

CARY, N.C. -- Old Westbury's Michael Landers pulled himself together after a disappointing loss Saturday night at the North American Olympic Table Tennis Trials and defeated teammate Adam Hugh to win the fifth-place match yesterday. Landers won, 4-1, dropping just the third game.

After a tough loss Saturday against Canada's Pierre-Luc Theriault, Landers was in much better spirits Sunday. He rushed the court with teammates Barney Reed and Hugh after American Timothy Wang dispatched Canada's Hongtao Chen to clinch the lone Olympic singles berth for Team USA.

Although Landers' hopes for London took a major hit with his loss Saturday night, he could still qualify if he can get through a world-class field at a last-chance tournament in Doha, Qatar, in May. He will have to pay his own way, too.

"There are still [up to] 11 more Olympic spots waiting for us," Landers said of the May 10-13 tournament. "We're going to have to tap into our own bank accounts or raise some money somehow [to get there]."

Two Americans can enter the May 10-13 tournament with the hopes of earning one more singles berth. Right now, Wang is the lone American male qualified for London.

But it will not be easy, since it's likely every strong table-tennis country that has not already qualified two players will send at least one candidate.