These days with Philippine tennis languishing in relative obscurity, one yearns for the sterling feats of our Mighty Mite, Felicisimo "Totoy" Ampon, who was born on October 27, 1920.

As one of our authentic sports heroes, the diminutive Ampon certainly rose above his physical handicap. His real height-already the stuff of legend-has remained the stuff of controversy. Some writers place him at five feet tall, while others list him an inch shorter. Notwithstanding his size, he was once recognized as the best tennis player in the world, inch for inch.

Giant-killer Ampon's exploits include winning the Davis Cup singles championship in 1937, although official records place his first year as 1939.

He stood at the helm of Philippine tennis when the country was the leading nation in Asia in the 1950's and 1960's, lording over Japan, Korea or India and emerging many times David Cup Zonal Champions in the Eastern Zone.

Together with Raymundo Deyro, Johnny Jose and Cesar Carmona in the Philippine team in 1955, Ampon recorded "the Most Decisive Victory in a Davis Cup Tie," defeating Burma 5-0 while losing only 18 games.

Already 44 years old In 1964, Ampon led the Filipinos in a Davis Cup tie in Manila against India. He was first pitted against the powerful Premjit Lall, who was 20 years his junior. To the delight of the hometown gallery, Ampon outplayed his opponent in straight sets. This he followed up with another victory in the reverse singles against Jaidip Mukerjea.

Ampon played in the Davis Cup till he was 47 years and 196 days old, earning the distinction of being the oldest player.

Besides the Davis Cup, Ampon walked tall in other tournaments in Asia, the Americas and Europe.

He was gold medalist in the Far Eastern Games before the war.

He also won the singles title in the Pan-American championship in Mexico City in 1950, although Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) records put this as 1949. This international tournament was his most important conquest-he had dealt humbling losses to known internationalists Bill Talbert in the semifinals and Tom Brown in the finals.

In addition, Ampon won over 30 European trophies. He defeated Wimbledon champion Jaroslav Drobny twice, and prevailed over Wimbledon semifinalist Ramanathan Krishnan.

Ampon's victories secured for the Philippines a spot in the world map of tennis during his heyday. Paying tribute to the Filipino netter, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) declared him its first Athlete of the Year in 1950.

In May 1952, Ampon nearly defeated world number 1 Frank Sedgman of Australia in the French Open quarterfinals. Subsequently, he again scared Sedgman in the same year's Wimbledon, going the full route of five sets. The great Sedgman, however, went on to win the crown.

In 1953, Ampon won the Wimbledon Plate championship, a tournament among first and second-round losers in the Wimbledon Open.

This amazing feat was cited by British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham during the August 2006 celebration in Makati City of the partnership between the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and Dunlop Slazenger International, which manufactures in the Philippines the tennis balls used in Wimbledon.

"... Some of you may not be aware that a Filipino, Felicisimo Ampon, won the Wimbledon Plate championship in 1953... At 4 feet 11 inches tall, he also holds the record of being the shortest man ever to play at Wimbledon," he added.

Perhaps the greatest tribute ever paid to Ampon came from a London sportswriter covering Wimbledon, who referred to him as a "great internationalist who has imparted a new meaning to the delicate game and is a credit to the sport."

After his Wimbledon feat, Ampon partnered with the younger Raymundo Deyro to annex the doubles' gold in the 1958 Asian Games.

In September 2007, tennis great Ampon was among the 36 outstanding athletes elevated by Far Eastern University to its newly organized Sports Hall of Fame. Sadly, he wasn't around to receive the distinction. He had moved on to that great tennis court in the sky in 1998.