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Davis Cup


 

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. The largest annual team competition in sport, the Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. In 2005 134 nations entered teams into the competition.

History

The tournament was conceived in 1899 by four members of the Harvard University tennis team who came up with the idea of challenging the British to a tennis showdown. Once the idea received the go ahead from the respective lawn tennis associations, one of the four Harvard players, Dwight F. Davis, designed a tournament format and spent the money from his own pocket to purchase an appropriate sterling silver trophy. The first match, between the United States and Great Britain was held in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1900. The American team, of which Dwight Davis was a part, surprised the British by winning the first three matches. The following year the two countries did not compete but the US won the next match in 1902. By 1905 the tournament expanded to include Belgium, Austria, France, and Australasia, a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed together until 1913. The tournament was initially known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge. It was renamed the Davis Cup following the death of Dwight Davis in 1945. (Dwight Davis became a prominent politician in the United States in the 1920s, serving as Secretary of War from 1925-29 and as Governor General of the Philippines from 1929-32.)

Related Topics:
1899 - Harvard University - Dwight F. Davis - United States - Great Britain - Brookline, Massachusetts - 1900 - 1902 - 1905 - Belgium - Austria - France - Australasia - Australia - New Zealand - 1913 - 1945 - 1925 - 29 - Philippines - 32

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From 1950 to 1967, Australia dominated the competition, winning the Cup 15 times in 18 years.

Related Topics:
1950 - 1967

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Since inception, the U.S.A. has won the event the most times (31), followed by Australia (23), France and Great Britain (9 each), Sweden (7), and Australasia (5).

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Up to 1973, the Davis Cup had only ever been won by the U.S.A., Great Britain, France and Australia/Australasia. Their domination was broken in 1974, when South Africa and India qualified fo the final. However India refused to play in the final that year in protest against the South African government's apartheid policies, thus handing South Africa a walk-over victory. Since then, several other countries have gone on to capture the trophy.

Related Topics:
1973 - 1974 - South Africa - India - Apartheid

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On the 100th anniversary of the tournament's founding, 129 nations competed for the Davis Cup.

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Next Davis Cup final

Slovakia-Croatia (December 2005 in Sibamac Arena, Bratislava)

Related Topics:
Slovakia - Croatia - Bratislava

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Past Davis Cup finals

◄ Davis Cup: Introduction
Davis Cup: World Group ►

~ Table of Content ~

►Introduction
►History
►World Group
►See also
►External link

 

 

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