Melissa Tapper put up a strong fight but couldn’t overcome Brazilian Caroline Kumahara in the preliminary round of the women’s singles table tennis competition.
Making history as the first Australian to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tapper was determined to put up a fight against the hometown favourite.
After going down 4-11 in the opening set, Tapper fought back to claim the second 11-8. She showed some sharp moves in the third but lost that and the fourth. In the sixth she staved off the first match point but succumbed at 8-11.
Tapper will compete in the women’s team event on Day 6 (12 August) when the Australians play Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
In the men’s competition, Dave Powell went out in straight sets against Marcelo Aguirre of Paraguay (11-13, 7-11, 12-14, 9-11).
