1979 Davis Cup

The 1979 Davis Cup was the 68th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 52 teams would enter the competition, 29 in the Europe Zone, 13 in the Americas Zone, and 10 in the Eastern Zone.

1979 Davis Cup
Details
DurationAugust 1978 – 16 December 1979
Edition68th
Teams49
Champion
Winning Nation United States
1978
1980

Following years of protests from various national sides, South Africa were expelled from the Davis Cup for failing to abandon its apartheid policies. For many years the Davis Cup organisers had been reluctant to let political issues affect the competition, however following several years of defaults by national teams and threats of a boycott, the organisers of the tournament were forced to resolve the political disagreements by expelling the South African side.[1] Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and the Caribbean/West Indies teams had all pulled out of the 1978 tournament, and in 1977 the United States, Great Britain and France had all withdrawn in protest to the continued politicisation of the Cup before eventually re-entering following concessions.[2][3] South Africa would not be allowed to participate again in the Davis Cup until 1992, when significant progress had been made to bring about the end of apartheid.

The United States defeated Argentina in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, Australia defeated New Zealand in the Eastern Zone final, and Italy and Czechoslovakia were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Great Britain and Sweden respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, the United States defeated Australia and Italy defeated Czechoslovakia in the semifinals. The United States then defeated Italy in the final to win their 26th title overall and their second consecutive title. The final was held at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, United States on 14–16 December.[4][5]

Americas Zone

Preliminary rounds

First RoundQualifying Round
 Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
bye
 Mexico3
 Canada2
bye
 Canada
 Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia
bye
 Colombia4
Nassau, Bahamas
 Venezuela1
 Caribbean/West Indies2
 Venezuela3

Main Draw

Semifinals
8–10 December 1978
Final
16–18 March
 United States
Cleveland, Ohio, United States (indoor hard)
bye
 United States5
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
 Colombia0
 Mexico2
 Colombia3

Preliminary rounds

First RoundQualifying Round
 Argentina
Guayaquil, Ecuador (indoor carpet)
bye
 Argentina4
Guayaquil, Ecuador (indoor carpet)
 Ecuador1
 Ecuador4
 Peru1
Cochabamba, Bolivia (clay)
 Bolivia0
Itu, Brazil
 Brazil5
 Brazil4
 Uruguay0
bye
 Uruguay

Main Draw

Semifinals
8–10 December 1978
Final
16–18 March
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
 Argentina5
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
 Brazil0
 Argentina3
 Chile2
bye
 Chile

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Argentina


United States
4
Racquet Club of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, United States[6]
14–16 September 1979
Carpet (indoors)

Argentina
1
1 2 3 4 5
1 United States
Argentina
Vitas Gerulaitis
José Luis Clerc
6
1
7
5
6
1
     
2 United States
Argentina
John McEnroe
Guillermo Vilas
6
2
6
3
6
2
     
3 United States
Argentina
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
José Luis Clerc / Guillermo Vilas
2
6
4
6
11
9
6
4
6
1
 
4 United States
Argentina
John McEnroe
José Luis Clerc
6
2
6
3
       
5 United States
Argentina
Vitas Gerulaitis
Guillermo Vilas
7
9
3
0
      retired
 

Eastern Zone

Preliminary rounds

Pre-qualifying roundPreliminary round
 Philippines
bye
 Philippines
Peshawar, Pakistan
 Pakistanw/o
 Pakistan3
 South Korea2
 Chinese Taipeiw/o
Jakarta, Indonesia
 Malaysia
 Chinese Taipei0
 Indonesia4
bye
 Indonesia

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
5–10 December 1978
Semifinals
9–12 February
Final
16–19 March
 New Zealand
Christchurch, New Zealand (grass)
bye
 New Zealand3
Kasuga, Japan
 Japan0
 Japan4
Christchurch, New Zealand (grass)
 Pakistan1
 New Zealand2
Ahmedabad, India
 Australia3
 Indonesia1
Madras, India (clay)
 India4
 India2
 Australia3
bye
 Australia

Final

New Zealand vs. Australia


New Zealand
2
Wilding Park, Christchurch, New Zealand[7]
16–19 March 1979
Grass

Australia
3
1 2 3 4 5
1 New Zealand
Australia
Onny Parun
Mark Edmondson
3
6
6
3
6
3
6
2
   
2 New Zealand
Australia
Russell Simpson
John Alexander
4
6
6
4
5
7
4
6
   
3 New Zealand
Australia
Onny Parun / Russell Simpson
John Alexander / Phil Dent
4
6
7
9
3
6
     
4 New Zealand
Australia
Russell Simpson
Mark Edmondson
3
6
2
6
4
6
     
5 New Zealand
Australia
Onny Parun
John Alexander
7
5
6
3
6
3
     

Europe Zone

Preliminary rounds

First RoundQualifying Round
 Poland
Warsaw, Poland
bye
 Poland4
Helsinki, Finland
 Finland1
 Finland5
 Morocco0
 Italy
Palermo, Italy (clay)
bye
 Italy5
Athens, Greece (clay)
 Denmark0
 Greece1
 Denmark4
 Austria
Vienna, Austria
bye
 Austria5
Cairo, Egypt (clay)
 Egypt0
 Egypt5
 Portugal0
 Spain
Barcelona, Spain
bye
 Spain5
Monte Carlo, Monaco
 Soviet Union0
 Monaco1
 Soviet Union4

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
15–17 June
Semifinals
13–15 July
Final
14–16 September
 Hungary
Rome, Italy (clay)
bye
 Hungary2
Warsaw, Poland
 Italy3
 Poland1
Rome, Italy (clay)
 Italy4
 Italy4
Vienna, Austria
 Great Britain1
 Austria1
Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)
 Spain3
 Spain1
 Great Britain4
bye
 Great Britain

Final

Italy vs. Great Britain


Italy
4
Foro Italico, Rome, Italy[8]
14–16 September 1979
Clay

Great Britain
1
1 2 3 4 5
1 Italy
United Kingdom
Adriano Panatta
Buster Mottram
0
6
4
6
4
6
     
2 Italy
United Kingdom
Corrado Barazzutti
John Lloyd
6
1
6
4
6
4
     
3 Italy
United Kingdom
Corrado Barazzutti / Antonio Zugarelli
Mark Cox / David Lloyd
7
5
10
8
6
1
     
4 Italy
United Kingdom
Adriano Panatta
John Lloyd
6
3
6
2
6
3
     
5 Italy
United Kingdom
Corrado Barazzutti
Buster Mottram
8
6
7
5
       

Pre-qualifying round

Pre-qualifying round
Ankara, Turkey
 Turkey0
 Iran5

Preliminary rounds

First RoundQualifying Round
Amersfoort, Netherlands (clay)
 Netherlands4
Amsterdam, Netherlands (indoor carpet)
 Norway1
 Netherlands2
 France3
bye
 France
Geneva, Switzerland
  Switzerland3
Zürich, Switzerland
 Iran2
  Switzerland4
 Yugoslavia1
bye
 Yugoslavia
 Israelw/o
Augsburg, West Germany
 Nigeria
 Israel2
 West Germany3
bye
 West Germany
Brussels, Belgium
 Belgium5
Brussels, Belgium
 Ireland0
 Belgium1
 Romania4
bye
 Romania

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
15–17 June
Semifinals
13–15 July
Final
14–16 September
 Czechoslovakia
Paris, France (clay)
bye
 Czechoslovakia4
Paris, France (clay)
 France1
 France5
Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)
  Switzerland0
 Czechoslovakia3
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
 Sweden2
 Romania4
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
 West Germany1
 Romania2
 Sweden3
bye
 Sweden

Final

Czechoslovakia vs. Sweden


Czechoslovakia
3
Štvanice Stadium, Prague, Czechoslovakia[9]
14–16 September 1979
Clay

Sweden
2
1 2 3 4 5
1 Czechoslovakia
Sweden
Tomáš Šmíd
Kjell Johansson
6
4
6
3
6
2
     
2 Czechoslovakia
Sweden
Ivan Lendl
Björn Borg
4
6
5
7
2
6
     
3 Czechoslovakia
Sweden
Jan Kodeš / Tomáš Šmíd
Ove Bengtson / Björn Borg
2
6
6
3
6
4
6
0
   
4 Czechoslovakia
Sweden
Ivan Lendl
Kjell Johansson
8
10
6
4
6
4
4
6
6
1
 
5 Czechoslovakia
Sweden
Tomáš Šmíd
Per Hjertquist
3
5
        retired
 

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw

Semifinals
5–8 October
Final
14–16 December
Sydney, Australia (grass)
AME United States4
San Francisco, United States (indoor carpet)
EAS Australia1
AME United States5
Rome, Italy (clay)
EUR-A Italy0
EUR-B Czechoslovakia1
EUR-A Italy4

Semifinals

Australia vs. United States


Australia
1
White City Stadium, Sydney, Australia[10]
5–8 October 1979
Grass

United States
4
1 2 3 4 5
1 Australia
United States
Mark Edmondson
Vitas Gerulaitis
8
6
16
14
8
10
3
6
3
6
 
2 Australia
United States
John Alexander
John McEnroe
7
9
2
6
7
9
     
3 Australia
United States
John Alexander / Phil Dent
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
9
7
6
4
6
4
     
4 Australia
United States
John Alexander
Vitas Gerulaitis
7
5
4
6
6
8
2
6
   
5 Australia
United States
Mark Edmondson
John McEnroe
3
6
4
6
       

Italy vs. Czechoslovakia


Italy
4
Foro Italico, Rome, Italy[11]
5–7 October 1979
Clay

Czechoslovakia
1
1 2 3 4 5
1 Italy
Czechoslovakia
Corrado Barazzutti
Tomáš Šmíd
1
6
6
3
1
6
6
3
5
7
 
2 Italy
Czechoslovakia
Adriano Panatta
Ivan Lendl
6
4
1
6
6
0
6
0
   
3 Italy
Czechoslovakia
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
Jan Kodeš / Tomáš Šmíd
6
8
6
2
6
1
6
2
   
4 Italy
Czechoslovakia
Corrado Barazzutti
Ivan Lendl
4
6
6
1
6
2
3
6
7
5
 
5 Italy
Czechoslovakia
Adriano Panatta
Tomáš Šmíd
6
3
6
2
       

Final

United States vs. Italy


United States
5
Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, United States[5]
14–16 December 1979
Carpet (indoors)

Italy
0
1 2 3 4 5
1 United States
Italy
Vitas Gerulaitis
Corrado Barazzutti
6
2
3
2
       
retired
2 United States
Italy
John McEnroe
Adriano Panatta
6
2
6
3
6
4
     
3 United States
Italy
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
6
4
12
10
6
2
     
4 United States
Italy
John McEnroe
Antonio Zugarelli
6
4
6
3
6
1
     
5 United States
Italy
Vitas Gerulaitis
Adriano Panatta
6
1
6
3
6
3
     

References

  1. "South Africa Expelled from Cup Play". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. 17 April 1978. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. "Canada heads pullout from 1978 Davis Cup". Montreal Gazette. Reuters. 4 July 1977. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. "U.S. Withdraws from Davis Cup". Deseret News. Associated Press. 1 July 1976. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  4. Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  5. "United States v Italy". daviscup.com.
  6. "United States v Argentina". daviscup.com.
  7. "New Zealand v Australia". daviscup.com.
  8. "Italy v Great Britain". daviscup.com.
  9. "Czechoslovakia v Sweden". daviscup.com.
  10. "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.
  11. "Italy v Czechoslovakia". daviscup.com.
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