Davis Cup

Davis Cup – the official website

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.

Triumphs in the Davis Cup by country in the Open era:
13 – USA
7 – Sweden
6 – Australia
5 – Spain
4 – France
3 – Germany*, Czech Republic**
2 – Russia, Croatia
1 – South Africa, Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Great Britain, Argentina
* The first two triumphs as West Germany, ** the first time as Czechoslovakia

15 Responses to Davis Cup

  1. bry17may says:
    November 17, 2011 at 5:03 am

    A great page, only one mistake

    In te list of more titles, you write South America instead of Soouth Africa

  2. Voo de Mar says:
    December 14, 2011 at 5:33 pm

    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.

  3. St-Denis says:
    December 17, 2011 at 12:08 am

    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! 🙂

  4. Wanaro Evernden says:
    December 17, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    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)

    • Wanaro Evernden says:
      December 18, 2011 at 10:16 am

      I think it’s better not to account the dead rubber, but it’s my opinion 🙂

      • Voo de Mar says:
        December 18, 2011 at 10:49 am

        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.

        • Wanaro Evernden says:
          December 18, 2011 at 4:15 pm

          Convincing.
          But please not remember me 2002 🙁 i prefer 1996 🙂

          • Wanaro Evernden says:
            December 18, 2011 at 4:23 pm

            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.

  5. bry17may says:
    December 18, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    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 🙂

  6. Voo de Mar says:
    November 17, 2012 at 12:44 am
    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

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