Tapper sees the bright side

MELISSA Tapper is taking a positive outlook after her ITTF World Tour Platinum campaign came to an early end yesterday in Geelong.

The 29-year-old, the first ever Australian to compete at both Olympic and Paralympic level, lost in the qualifying stages to Spain’s Xiao Maria at The Arena.

But Tapper said it was “a great opportunity to play against such a high level”.

“Obviously, no one wants to lose … so that side of things was a little disappointing, but I’ve come away with more learning from it,” Tapper said.

“In the same sort of situation a couple of years ago I don’t think I would’ve performed as well as I did today.

“There’s plenty of positives coming out of it and plenty more to keep learning. That’s what makes a good athlete, not being satisfied and pushing to get better.”

Tapper was born with brachial plexus, but took up table tennis at the age of eight and doesn’t let the nerve condition on her right side hold her back from taking on the world’s best on the table tennis circuit.

“I was born with a condition called brachial plexus, where the nerves in between my shoulder and neck in my right arm were torn,” Tapper said.

“I qualify in class 10 of the Paralympics but as a kid growing up I was always involved in able-bodied sport so that’s where that side has come in as well.”

Tapper is a left-handed player, so her general play isn’t overly affected, but her ability to throw up the ball and execute serves is.

“In terms of the able-bodied side, my right arm makes serving a bit more difficult, so I definitely put a lot more time into improving my service,” she said. “When you lack something you sort of make up for it in something else.

“I make up for it in terms of being quite disciplined, I want to improve and I do believe I work quite hard. Put all that together and a bit of belief and anything’s possible.”

The world’s most talented table tennis players are competing in Geelong over the coming week.