1968 Davis Cup

1968 Davis Cup
Details
Duration	20 March – 28 December 1968
Edition	57th
Teams	49
Champion
Winning nation	United States
	← 1967 1969 →

The 1968 Davis Cup was the 57th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 32 teams entered the Europe Zone, 9 teams entered the Americas Zone, and 8 teams entered the Eastern Zone. Peru made its first appearance in the tournament, having previously entered on 3 separate occasions before subsequently withdrawing before competing in a tie.

The United States defeated Ecuador in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, India defeated Japan in the Eastern Inter-Zonal final, and Spain and West Germany were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Italy and South Africa respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, the United States defeated Spain and India defeated West Germany in the semifinals, and then the United States defeated India in the final. The United States then defeated the defending champions Australia in the Challenge Round, ending Australia's four-year title run. The final was played at Memorial Drive Park in Adelaide, Australia on 26–28 December.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Incidents

In what became known as the Båstad riots, the Europe Zone first-round tie between Sweden and Rhodesia, planned to be held in Båstad, Sweden, caused widespread disruption as demonstrators protested the participation of both Rhodesia and South Africa in the tournament. Both countries had been banned from competing in other sports competitions due to their apartheid and white minority rule policies.

Following discussions between the Swedish government and demonstrators, the International Tennis Federation and Swedish Tennis Federation decided to move the tie to a neutral location in Bandol, France.^[4]^[5]

Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone


Semifinals 3–13 May		Final 24–26 May

Richmond, VA, United States (hard)

United States	5
		Berkeley, CA, United States (hard)
Caribbean/West Indies	0
		United States	5
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
		Mexico	0
Canada	0

Mexico	5

South America Zone

Quarterfinals
27–29 April

Semifinals
29–31 March; 11–13 May

Final
24–27 May

Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuela

3

Caracas, Venezuela (hard)

Argentina

2

Venezuela

0

Ecuador

3

Ecuador

Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)

bye

Ecuador

3

Chile

1

bye

Lima, Peru

Peru

0

Chile

5

bye

Chile

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Ecuador

United States
5

Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC, United States^[6]
7–9 June 1968
Carpet (indoor)

Ecuador
0

		1	2	3	4
1	Arthur Ashe Pancho Guzmán	6 3	6 3	6 2
2	Clark Graebner Miguel Olvera	6 2	6 1	6 2
3	Clark Graebner / Bob Lutz Pancho Guzmán / Miguel Olvera	6 3	6 2	7 5
4	Clark Graebner Pancho Guzmán	4 6	6 3	6 4	6 4
5	Arthur Ashe Miguel Olvera	6 1	6 3	6 0

Eastern Zone

Zone A

Quarterfinals

Semifinals
23–25 March; 26–28 April

Final
10–12 May

w/o

1

4

bye

1

Japan

4

bye

Tokyo, Japan

South Korea

0

Japan

5

bye

Japan

Zone B


Semifinals 20–22 March		Final 26–28 April

Colombo, Ceylon (clay)

Malaysia	1
		Guwahati, India
Ceylon	4
		Ceylon	2

		India	3
bye

India

Eastern Inter-Zonal Final

Japan vs. India

Japan
1

Tokyo, Japan^[7]
21–23 September 1968

India
4

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Keishiro Yanagi Premjit Lall	2 6	4 6	3 6
2	Koji Watanabe Ramanathan Krishnan	2 6	6 3	3 6	2 6
3	Isao Watanabe / Koji Watanabe Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea	2 6	2 6	7 5	6 1	0 6
4	Keishiro Yanagi Ramanathan Krishnan	4 6	3 6	1 6
5	Koji Watanabe Premjit Lall	8 6	6 1	6 2

Europe Zone

Zone A

First Round
26 April–7 May

Quarterfinals
23–26 May

Semifinals
13–16 June

Final
19–21 July

Valencia, Spain (clay)

Spain

3

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Netherlands

2

Spain

4

Bandol, France (hard)

Sweden

1

Sweden

4

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Rhodesia

1

Spain

4

Bournemouth, England (clay)

Great Britain

1

Great Britain

3

London, England (grass)

France

0

Great Britain

5

Helsinki, Finland (clay)

Finland

0

Finland

4

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Portugal

1

Spain

3

Tbilisi, Soviet Union

Italy

2

Soviet Union

4

Moscow, Soviet Union

Greece

1

5

0

4

Reggio Emilia, Italy (clay)

New Zealand

0

Soviet Union

2

Cagliari, Italy (clay)

Italy

3

Italy

5

Biella, Italy (clay)

Hungary

0

Italy

5

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monaco

0

Monaco

3

Ireland

1

Zone A Final

Spain vs. Italy

Spain
3

Real Club de Tenis, Barcelona, Spain^[8]
19–21 July 1968
Clay

Italy
2

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Juan Gisbert Martin Mulligan	6 4	2 6	6 2	6 4
2	Manuel Santana Nicola Pietrangeli	6 3	3 6	4 6	6 4	6 2
3	José Luis Arilla / Manuel Orantes Martin Mulligan / Nicola Pietrangeli	5 7	2 6	6 3	3 6
4	Juan Gisbert Nicola Pietrangeli	8 6	6 4	6 2
5	Manuel Orantes Martin Mulligan	6 4	6 4	5 7	3 6	4 4

Zone B

First Round
28 April–6 May

Quarterfinals
17–26 May

Semifinals
14–16 June

Final
19–21 July

Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

5

Sofia, Bulgaria

Turkey

0

Bulgaria

0

Freiburg, West Germany

West Germany

5

Switzerland

1

Munich, West Germany (clay)

4

4

1

Belgium

3

Brussels, Belgium (clay)

Poland

2

Belgium

2

Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)

Czechoslovakia

3

Czechoslovakia

3

Düsseldorf, West Germany

Brazil

2

West Germany

3

Luxembourg, Luxembourg (clay)

South Africa

2

Luxembourg

1

Oslo, Norway (clay)

Norway

4

Norway

0

Bucharest, Romania (clay)

Romania

5

Romania

4

Denmark

1

Romania

Tehran, Iran

South Africa

w/o

Iran

4

Tehran, Iran

Israel

1

Iran

0

Linz, Austria

South Africa

5

Austria

0

South Africa

5

Zone B Final

West Germany vs. South Africa

West Germany
3

Düsseldorf, West Germany^[9]
19–21 July 1968

South Africa
2

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Wilhelm Bungert Bob Hewitt	9 7	7 5	7 5
2	Ingo Buding Ray Moore	6 3	4 6	10 8	6 8	6 4
3	Ingo Buding / Jürgen Fassbender Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan	4 6	2 6	4 6
4	Wilhelm Bungert Ray Moore	6 1	6 1	6 1
5	Ingo Buding Bob Hewitt	5 7	2 6	6 2	3 6

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw


Semifinals 14–16 August; 4–6 October			Final 9–11 November

Munich, West Germany

EUR-B	West Germany	2
			San Juan, PR (hard)
EAS	India	3
			EAS	India	1
Cleveland, OH, United States (hard)
			AME	United States	4
AME	United States	4

EUR-A	Spain	1

Semifinals

West Germany vs. India

West Germany
2

Munich, West Germany^[10]
4–6 October 1968

India
3

		1	2	3	4
1	Ingo Buding Premjit Lall	6 2	2 6	3 6	4 6
2	Wilhelm Bungert Ramanathan Krishnan	4 6	6 0	8 6	7 5
3	Wilhelm Bungert / Jürgen Fassbender Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea	2 6	2 6	3 6
4	Ingo Buding Ramanathan Krishnan	2 6	5 7	2 6
5	Wilhelm Bungert Premjit Lall	6 1	4 6	6 4	6 3

United States vs. Spain

United States
4

Harold Clark Courts, Cleveland, OH, United States^[11]
16–19 August 1968
Hard

Spain
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Clark Graebner Manuel Santana	2 6	3 6	3 6
2	Arthur Ashe Juan Gisbert	6 2	6 4	6 2
3	Clark Graebner / Charlie Pasarell Juan Gisbert / Manuel Santana	11 13	17 15	7 5	6 2
4	Clark Graebner Juan Gisbert	9 7	6 3	6 1
5	Arthur Ashe Manuel Santana	11 13	7 5	6 3	13 15	6 4

Final

United States vs. India

United States
4

Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico^[12]
9–11 November 1968
Hard

India
1

		1	2	3	4
1	Arthur Ashe Premjit Lall	6 2	5 7	6 2	6 4
2	Clark Graebner Ramanathan Krishnan	5 7	6 4	2 6	1 6
3	Bob Lutz / Stan Smith Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea	6 2	6 3	6 2
4	Arthur Ashe Ramanathan Krishnan	6 1	6 3	6 3
5	Clark Graebner Premjit Lall	9 11	9 7	7 5	6 4

Challenge Round

Australia vs. United States

Australia
1

Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide, Australia^[3]
26–28 December 1968
Grass

United States
4

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Bill Bowrey Clark Graebner	10 8	4 6	6 8	6 3	1 6
2	Ray Ruffels Arthur Ashe	8 6	5 7	3 6	3 6
3	John Alexander / Ray Ruffels Bob Lutz / Stan Smith	4 6	4 6	2 6
4	Ray Ruffels Clark Graebner	6 3	6 8	6 2	3 6	1 6
5	Bill Bowrey Arthur Ashe	2 6	6 3	11 9	8 6

References

^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.
^ Max Robertson (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 384. ISBN 0047960426.
^ ^a ^b "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.
^ Wijk, Johnny (2009-03-07). "Idrotten tjänar på de politiska aktionerna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2012-06-26.
^ "Chile waits for Cup decision". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 12 September 1975. Retrieved 7 May 2019. Seven years ago, the Swedish Tennis Federation was forced to move a Davis Cup match between Sweden and white-ruled Rhodesia to southern France after demonstrators had clashed with police outside Baastad's tennis stadium.
^ "United States v Ecuador". daviscup.com.
^ "Japan v India". daviscup.com.
^ "Spain v Italy". daviscup.com.
^ "West Germany v South Africa". daviscup.com.
^ "West Germany v India". daviscup.com.
^ "United States v Spain". daviscup.com.
^ "United States v India". daviscup.com.

External links

Davis Cup Official Website

[Collins-1] Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.

[2] Max Robertson (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 384. ISBN 0047960426.

[Challenge-3] "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.

[4] Wijk, Johnny (2009-03-07). "Idrotten tjänar på de politiska aktionerna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2012-06-26.

[5] "Chile waits for Cup decision". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 12 September 1975. Retrieved 7 May 2019. Seven years ago, the Swedish Tennis Federation was forced to move a Davis Cup match between Sweden and white-ruled Rhodesia to southern France after demonstrators had clashed with police outside Baastad's tennis stadium.

[6] "United States v Ecuador". daviscup.com.

[7] "Japan v India". daviscup.com.

[8] "Spain v Italy". daviscup.com.

[9] "West Germany v South Africa". daviscup.com.

[10] "West Germany v India". daviscup.com.

[11] "United States v Spain". daviscup.com.

[12] "United States v India". daviscup.com.

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v t e Davis Cup
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List of champions Winning players

v t e 1968 in tennis
Grand Slam	Australian Championships French Open Wimbledon Championships US Open
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Incidents

Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

South America Zone

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

Eastern Zone

Zone A

Zone B

Eastern Inter-Zonal Final

Europe Zone

Zone A

Zone A Final

Zone B

Zone B Final

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw

Semifinals

Final

Challenge Round

See also

References

External links