Tennis Prose




Sep/11

30

The Amazing Madam Liu


We see and hear about some amazing things in tennis. The Djokovic forehand winner down two match points to Federer at the U.S. Open…my friend telling me about saving 10 match points in a college match…Pete Sampras blasting a serve that busted through the strings of Patrick Rafter’s racquet…Marcelo Rios hitting an overhead winner vs. Andre Agassi in the Grand Slam Cup final in Munich, after falling down and sitting on his hind quarters – and making it look easy.

Here’s a different kind of amazing story in tennis. Did you know there was a woman who started playing USTA national tournaments in her 70s, then proceeded to win 48 titles and seven Grand Slams?

Madame Liu, who was from Taiwan, started playing tennis in the 1970’s after visiting her two nieces and nephew in the San Francisco Bay area. She moved here in the 80s. Madame Liu – real name Liu Shang-Ku Tao – played at Golden Gate State Park. She was described as stoic and deliberate and known for her mobility and steadiness.

Her Obituary in a 1997 issue of Inside Tennis read: “She established herself at once as a champion. But in those days she had to play down a couple of age divisions. NorCal women’s groupings didn’t go beyond the 65s. So in 1984, when she was in her mid-70s, she was #1 in NorCal 65s and 60s. At the same time, as the nation’s #1 player in the 70s, she scored her second consecutive Grand Slam in the 70s singles.”

“As the national 75s and 80s divisions were established, she went on to win two Grand Slams in the 75s singles (before grass was added) and one in doubles.”

“In 1992, she won a double Grand Slam in the 80s by capturing all eight national titles in the singles and doubles. She was honored at the U.S. Open by Tennis Magazine as it’s Player of the Year, and was a guest of then USTA president Bob Cookson and his wife, Betty, in the President’s Box at the tournament.”

Her last tournament was in 1994. She won the singles of the 80s clay and hardcourts, each for three-peats, then went back to Taiwan for her 50th Wedding anniversary. Her husband a member of Taiwanese Parliament) was suffering from cancer. A year later he passed away. “Apparently the family feuded over the estate, and under the pressure Madame Liu had a stroke from which she did not recover.” She was 87.

She and her husband were appointed to China’s parliament before the communists took over the mainland in 1949 – they fled to Formose (now Taiwan) with other Nationalists.

It’s hard to comprehend how someone could start tennis so late in life and become so good. It’s truly never too late I guess. Madame Liu proved it.

Source: Inside Tennis.

2 comments

  • Gans · October 1, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    Truly amazing!

    That’s really encouraging because I started to play only 3 years back at mid 30s and making decent progress I believe.

    I just sent you an email in response to doing a biofile w Gary and a few words about my kid.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 2, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    You’re way ahead of Madam Liu Gans, keep on hittin ’em. Guess consistency and steadiness is the key to playing winning tennis.

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