The most prestigious team competition in men’s tennis with longer history than three out of four Grand Slam tournaments. Below all Davis Cup finals in the Open era, in the picture Stan Smith – the most successful player in the Davis Cup finals! Because a nation needs 4 winning ties within a season to get the Cup, usually 20 rubbers are played to make it. It means that sometimes players who contribute to the ultimate success, don’t play in the final for different reasons, thus appears a question, whether we should consider them as Davis Cup winners, or not? I prepared a list of players who contributed to the triumphs of their nations throughout a year since 1981, depicting their contribution by points. I counted this way: 1 point for a vital singles rubber, 0.5 for each player during a doubles win, also 0.5 for those who won a dead rubber (I know it should’ve been less – maybe 0.3 – but I adopted 0.5 for easier calculation), 0 for those who played a rubber(s) winning nothing 😛 A player during a Davis Cup season may gather 10 points at most.You must be logged in to post a comment.
A great page, only one mistake
In te list of more titles, you write South America instead of Soouth Africa
Thanks, I have to admit I make this mistake quite often 🙂 don’t know why…
I’ve added today – I hope – an interesting “mathematical stuff (and all “match point” matches). Explanation under Stan Smith’s picture. Years 1968-80 perhaps will be added in the future.
I love this stat, lately I’m very interested in the Davis Cup.
Great Job!
Good idea.
Exemple : Arnaud Clément don’t plays the final in 2001 and he classified number 2.
1 – 5 – Nicolas Escude (play final)
2 – 3.5 – Arnaud Clement
3 – 2.5 – Fabrice Santoro (play final)
4 – 1.5 – Cedric Pioline (play final)
5 – 1 – Sebastien Grosjean (play final)
Look at 1999
Rafter is No. 1 and he doesn’t play the final
oh yes, thank you.
In dec 1999, Rafter was wounded in his right shoulder, he didn’t play too the Masters in Hannover and Super 9-Paris (I) and a lot of tournaments…. For example, he became #1 just for a week, during a week without playing! unlucky! Nevertheless, he is a great #1 player among this prestigious list of numbers 1! 🙂
I Birger Andersson rehabilitated by creating its page on the French Wikipedia. But no other inter-wiki (other language) for now.
1 – 13 (or 12,8 if it’s 0,3) – Bjorn Borg (17 matchs : 12 S/5 D)
2 – 4 – Birger Andersson (he play all the rubber but not the final) (10 matchs : 10 S/0 D)
3 – 1,5 – Ove Bengtson (17 matchs : 2 S/6 D)
4 – 0 – Rolf Norberg (1 match : 0 S/1 D)
I think it’s better not to account the dead rubber, but it’s my opinion 🙂
I thought about counting it because lopsided results may have impact on team’s self-confidence, 5-0 may work better for the team spirit than 3-2, it’s only an assumption.
The other thing: if a guy debuts in the Davis Cup playing a dead rubber, maybe it’s easier for him to play a vital rubber when he got some DC experience under his belt. It’s Mikhail Youzhny’s case who lost both dead rubbers in 2002, but won a match which was decisive for the whole Cup.
Convincing.
But please not remember me 2002 🙁 i prefer 1996 🙂
I discover a very interressting player of Davis Cup debut Zenzo Shimizu, finalist at Wimbledon against Tilden (All Comer Final) 4–6, 4–6, 11-13 and very nearly beat Tilden in the Challenge Round of Davis Cup 1921 7-5, 6-4, 5-3… and final score 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 1-6.
One day I read an article about Tilden, said that Tilden was lef to win the first two sets in a match, then he won in an amazing return. He did that only for the public, to do the tennis a better sport 🙂
YT films:
1980
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo55ryfjLOI – a few points of the final
1991
Forget vs. Sampras – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBq5c8buOsE (last game)
1992
McEnroe/Sampras vs. Hlasek/Rosset – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n7s8XgLr5g (last game)
1995
Sampras/Martin vs. Kafelnikov/Olhovsky – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGuKEfDNmgM
1996
Boetsch vs. Kulti – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXBsMl8d3eo
2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4GTXtREHRs – a few points of the final
2002
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsb27xBM0BI – a few points of the final
2003
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCQaA8RNyc – a few points of the final
2004
Moya vs. Roddick – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7FM_mycJXE&feature=relmfu (final points)
2005
final day – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cmqRRkQdV4 (celebration)
2006
Safin vs. Acasuso – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuT3d8rONpY (highlights)
2007
doubles – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlbQLKXZnBM (celebration)
2008
Verdasco vs. Acasuso – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmMq_qk41Bk (a few points)
2009
Ferrer vs. Stepanek – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgMqwD6XuIE (last game)
doubles – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjJq2xvFGPg (last game)
2010
Djokovic vs. Simon – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFMH_JjgNSc (last two games)
Troicki vs. Llodra – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE-LUigHCBY (last game)
2011
Highlights in Spanish:
Nadal vs. Monaco – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNH_kF5uDX4
Ferrer vs. Del Potro – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfKDorh61HU
Nadal vs. Del Potro – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6_9O77E7TA