Fate brought tennis and Ip Koon Hung together as his love for the sport motivated him to continue competing for many years and his raw talent made him into a Hong Kong tennis legend. All this young man had at the time when he started was a simple wooden racquet, a stray ball he found from the side of a court, and a dented wall to hit against. With these bare essentials, hard work and a natural gift for the sport, he went on to win a staggering 53 local majors (26 in singles and 27 in doubles), the most of any player in the history of Hong Kong tennis.
His achievements speak for themselves. At the Hong Kong National Grass Court Championships, he won 15 Men’s Singles crowns (1947, 1949 – 1952, 1959 – 1964) and ten Men’s Doubles titles (1950 – 52, 1954 – 1955, 1958 – 1959, 1961, 1963 – 64). At the Hong Kong National Hardcourt Championships, he won 10 Men’s Singles titles (1949, 1952 – 53, 1955, 1958 – 60, 1962 – 64), eight Men’s Doubles (1949, 1953 – 1955, 1958, 1962, 1965, 1967), and nine Mixed Doubles, the first six with his wife (1949 – 1951, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1965). A true pioneer for Hong Kong tennis, he even went on to play at the hallowed courts of Wimbledon, reaching the final of the Plate Competition in 1951. Commanding an excellent serve, the best in Hong Kong during his time, great approach shots and precision volleying, together with his greatest asset of self-belief, he ruled Hong Kong tennis during his heyday and has become a true legend in the history of the sport in Hong Kong.