1939 International Lawn Tennis Challenge

The 1939 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 34th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. 20 teams would enter the Europe Zone, while 7 would enter the Americas Zone.

Australia defeated Cuba in the North/Central America Zone, and then received a walkover from Brazil (the only team in the South America Zone) in the Americas Inter-Zonal playoff. Australia went on to defeat Yugoslavia in the Inter-Zonal play-off, and then defeated the United States in the Challenge Round. The final was played at the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, PA, United States on 2-5 September.

Americas Zone

North/Central America draw

1st Round June-July

Semifinals 14-16 July

Final 10-12 August

Philippines

bye

Long Beach, CA, United States (grass)

Philippines

0

Mexico City, Mexico (clay)

Australia

5

Australia

5

Mexico

0

Rumson, NJ, United States (grass)

Australia

5

Havana, Cuba (clay)

Cuba

0

Canada

1

Cuba

4

Cuba

w/o*

Japan

bye

Japan

• Japan withdrew from the competition after their top player, Jiro Yamagishi, joined the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Final

Australia 5	Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club, Rumson, NJ, United States 10 August - 12 August 1939 grass		Cuba 0
1 2 3 4 5 1 John Bromwich José Aguero 8 6 6 0 6 2       2 Adrian Quist Ricardo Morales 6 0 6 2 6 2       3 John Bromwich / Adrian Quist Ricardo Morales / Lorenzo Nodarse 6 1 6 0 6 3       4 John Bromwich Ricardo Morales 8 6 8 6 6 1       5 Adrian Quist José Aguero 6 1 6 0 6 0

Americas Inter-Zonal round

Australia defeated Brazil by walkover.

Europe Zone

Draw

1st round 5-7 May

2nd round 11-21 May

Quarterfinals 25-28 May

Semifinals 2-5 June

Final 28-30 July

Great Britain

Brighton, England (clay)

bye

Great Britain

3

New Zealand

New Zealand

2

Wimbledon, London, England (grass)

bye

Great Britain

3

France

Paris, France (clay)

France

2

bye

France

4

China

China

1

Berlin, Germany (clay)

bye

Great Britain

0

Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden

Germany

5

bye

Sweden

4

Denmark

Denmark

1

Berlin, Germany

bye

Sweden

1

Germany

5

Warsaw, Poland

Germany

4

Switzerland

0

Germany

3

Poland

4

Poland

2

Zagreb, Yugoslavia

Netherlands

1

Germany

2

Romania

2

Budapest, Hungary

Yugoslavia

3

Hungary

3

Hungary

1

Yugoslavia

5

Yugoslavia

4

Milan, Italy (clay)

Ireland

0

Yugoslavia

3

bye

Naples, Italy (clay)

Italy

2

Italy

Italy

3

bye

Monaco

0

Zagreb, Yugoslavia

Monaco

Yugoslavia

3

bye

Brussels, Belgium

Belgium

2

Belgium

Belgium

3

bye

India

2

Brussels, Belgium (clay)

India

Belgium

5

bye

Norway

0

Norway

Norway

w/o*

bye

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

• The Norway / Czechoslovakia tie failed to take place because of the German invasion and partition of Czechoslovakia.

Final

Yugoslavia 3	A.T.K. Stadium, Zagreb, Yugoslavia 28 July - 30 July 1939		Germany 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Franjo Punčec Rolf Göpfert 6 3 6 1 6 0       2 Dragutin Mitić Henner Henkel 0 6 1 6 6 4 4 6     3 Franjo Kukuljević / Franjo Punčec Henner Henkel / Roderich Menzel 7 9 6 4 4 6 6 3 1 4   4 Dragutin Mitić Rolf Göpfert 6 1 6 2 6 3       5 Franjo Punčec Henner Henkel 10 8 6 3 6 0

Inter-Zonal Zone

Yugoslavia 1	Longwood Cricket Club, Boston, MA, United States 24 August - 26 August 1939 grass		Australia 4
1 2 3 4 5 1 Dragutin Mitić Adrian Quist 0 6 4 6 3 6       2 Franjo Punčec John Bromwich 6 2 8 6 0 6 6 2     3 Franjo Kukuljević / Franjo Punčec John Bromwich / Adrian Quist 2 6 3 6 3 6       4 Dragutin Mitić John Bromwich 1 6 3 6 2 6       5 Franjo Kukuljević Adrian Quist 2 6 3 6 4 6

Challenge Round

United States 2	Merion Cricket Club, Haverford, PA, United States 2 September - 5 September 1939 grass		Australia 3
1 2 3 4 5 1 Bobby Riggs John Bromwich 6 4 6 0 7 5       2 Frank Parker Adrian Quist 6 3 2 6 6 4 1 6 7 5   3 Joseph Hunt / Jack Kramer John Bromwich / Adrian Quist 7 5 2 6 5 7 2 6     4 Bobby Riggs Adrian Quist 1 6 4 6 6 3 6 3 4 6   5 Frank Parker John Bromwich 0 6 3 6 1 6