Art Larsen, US tennis great who was
US Open National Tennis Champ in 1950
He was called Art "Tappy" Larsen (born 1925 in Hayward, Ca.) because he was constantly tapping items around the tennis court.
He was the only US amateur tennis player to win tournaments on all four surfaces at the time: grass, clay, hardcourt and indoor.
He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.
In 1950, Art won the US Open Tennis tournament held at Forest Hills beating Herb Flam 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Unfortunately his tennis career came to an abrupt halt in 1956 when Art (who often would play his matches after an all night partying) was involved in a serious motor scooter accident in Castro Valley, Ca. As a result, he lost sight in one eye and was partially paralyzed.
I met Art at the Golden Gate Park tennis facility in 1971 and we became fast friends. Art was a blond haired and blue-eyed wonder and always had a winsome smile.
Despite his limping, Art could cover a lot of ground tracking many balls down. We played doubles together and I quickly got used to his unorthodox southpaw winning style.
US Tennis great Garnder Malloy
Photo courtesy of thebiofile.com
Gardner Malloy (born 1913, in Washington, DC), an east coast tennis great (#1 US singles ranking in 1942) who played the senior circuit world-wide into his 90's, recalls Art as the funniest player on the circuit: "With Art Larsen...he had so many superstitions. We harassed him all the time."
Photo (1) found on ebay.
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