1973 Davis Cup

1973 Davis Cup
Details
Duration	10 November 1972 – 2 December 1973
Edition	62nd
Teams	53
Champion
Winning nation	Australia
	← 1972 1974 →

The 1973 Davis Cup was the 62nd edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 53 teams entered the competition, 31 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Americas Zone, and 10 in the Eastern Zone.

For the first time, preliminary rounds were used in every zone, effectively giving byes through the first two rounds of competition to the previous year's finalists from the American and Eastern zones, and to the previous year's semifinalists from the European zones. This year's competition also marked the first time that professional tennis players were allowed to compete.^[1]

The United States defeated Chile in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, Australia defeated India in the Eastern Zone final, and Czechoslovakia and Romania were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating the Soviet Union and Italy respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, Australia defeated Czechoslovakia and the United States defeated Romania in the semifinals. Australia then defeated the United States in the final, breaking the defending champions' 5-year winning run. The final was held at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States on 30 November-2 December. It marked the first time that the final was held indoors.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

Preliminary Rounds

First Round
23–25 February

Qualifying Round
9–11 March

Final

Bogotá, Colombia (clay)

Colombia

4

Bogotá, Colombia

Canada

1

Colombia

3

Caribbean/West Indies

2

bye

Caribbean/West Indies

Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico (clay)

bye

Mexico

4

Venezuela

1

bye

Venezuela

Main Draw


Semifinals 23–25 March		Final 11–13 May



United States
		Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
bye
		United States	4
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
		Mexico	1
Mexico	5

Colombia	0

South America Zone

Preliminary Rounds

First Round
23–25 February

Qualifying Round
2–4 March; 23–25 March

Final

Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)

Argentina

5

Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)

Ecuador

0

Argentina

4

Brazil

1

bye

Brazil

Uruguay

Punta del Este, Uruguay

bye

Uruguay

0

South Africa

5

bye

South Africa

Main Draw


Semifinals 13–15 April		Final 4–6 May



Chile
		Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
bye
		Chile	3
Montevideo, Uruguay (clay)
		Argentina	2
Argentina	4

South Africa	1

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Chile

United States
4

Burns Park Tennis Club, North Little Rock, AR, United States ^[4]
3–5 August 1973
Hard

Chile
0

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Tom Gorman Jaime Fillol	17 15	6 4	4 6	6 3
2	Stan Smith Patricio Cornejo	7 9	6 2	8 6	6 4
3	Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol	7 9	37 39	8 6	6 1	6 3
4	Tom Gorman Patricio Cornejo	6 3	6 1	6 1
5	Stan Smith Jaime Fillol						not played

The doubles match between Smith/van Dillen and Cornejo/Fillol set the Davis Cup record for the most games in a doubles rubber (122). The second set, which went to 37-39, set the record for the most games played in a set (76).^[5]

Eastern Zone

Preliminary Round

Preliminary Round
23–28 March

Semifinals

Final

Seoul, South Korea

South Korea

1

Japan

4

Jakarta, Indonesia

Indonesia

5

Hong Kong

0

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia

0

Pakistan

3

Penang, Malaysia (grass)

South Vietnam

3

Sri Lanka

0

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
9–15 April

Semifinals
20–22 April

Final
4–6 May

bye

4

Japan

1

Japan

3

Madras, India

Indonesia

0

Australia

4

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (grass)

India

0

Pakistan

4

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (grass)

South Vietnam

1

Pakistan

0

India

4

bye

India

Final

India vs. Australia

India
0

Madras, India ^[6]
4–6 May 1973

Australia
4

		1	2	3	4
1	Anand Amritraj John Newcombe	2 6	1 6	0 6
2	Vijay Amritraj Mal Anderson	1 6	2 6	1 6
3	Vijay Amritraj / Premjit Lall Geoff Masters / John Newcombe	6 4	2 6	5 7	3 6
4	Premjit Lall John Cooper	6 4	0 6	6 8	1 6
5	Vijay Amritraj John Newcombe	10 12	6 3			not completed

Europe Zone

Zone A

Preliminary Round

Template:6TeamBracket-1Round-info

Main Draw

First Round
3–6 May

Quarterfinals
18–20 May

Semifinals
20–22 July

Final
3–5 August

Romania

Scheveningen, Netherlands (clay)

bye

Romania

3

Tel Aviv, Israel (hard)

Netherlands

2

Israel

1

Bucharest, Romania (clay)

Netherlands

4

Romania

4

New Zealand

1

Yugoslavia

Zagreb, Yugoslavia (clay)

bye

Yugoslavia

2

Vienna, Austria (clay)

New Zealand

3

Austria

2

Bucharest, Romania

New Zealand

3

Romania

3

Oslo, Norway (clay)

Soviet Union

2

Norway

3

Oslo, Norway (clay)

Denmark

2

Norway

0

France

5

bye

Moscow, Soviet Union

France

2

Athens, Greece

Soviet Union

3

Greece

1

Budapest, Hungary

Hungary

4

Hungary

2

Soviet Union

3

bye

Soviet Union

Final

Romania vs. Soviet Union

Romania
3

Bucharest, Romania ^[7]
3–5 August 1973
Clay

Soviet Union
2

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Toma Ovici Alex Metreveli	5 7	5 7	2 6
2	Ilie Năstase Teimuraz Kakulia	6 0	6 3	6 0
3	Ilie Năstase / Ionel Sânteiu Sergei Likhachev / Alex Metreveli	0 6	6 3	4 6	7 5	2 6
4	Ilie Năstase Alex Metreveli	6 0	6 2	6 4
5	Toma Ovici Teimuraz Kakulia	6 3	6 3	6 1

Zone B

Preliminary Round

Preliminary Round
10–12 November 1972; 6–22 April

Semifinals

Final

Cairo, Egypt

Egypt

5

Turkey

0

Lisbon, Portugal (clay)

Portugal

0

Switzerland

5

Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

5

Iran

0

Casablanca, Morocco

Morocco

5

Luxembourg

0

Main Draw

First Round
27 April–6 May

Quarterfinals
18–20 May

Semifinals
20–22 July

Final
3–5 August

Czechoslovakia

Cairo, Egypt (clay)

bye

Czechoslovakia

4

Cairo, Egypt

Egypt

1

Egypt

4

Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)

Poland

1

Czechoslovakia

3

West Germany

2

Great Britain

Munich, West Germany (clay)

bye

Great Britain

1

Geneva, Switzerland

West Germany

4

Switzerland

0

Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)

West Germany

3

Czechoslovakia

4

Sofia, Bulgaria

Italy

1

Bulgaria

3

Reggio Emilia, Italy (clay)

Belgium

2

Bulgaria

0

Italy

5

bye

Turin, Italy

Italy

3

Rabat, Morocco (clay)

Spain

2

Morocco

1

Båstad, Sweden (clay)

Sweden

4

Sweden

2

Spain

3

bye

Spain

Final

Czechoslovakia vs. Italy

Czechoslovakia
4

Prague, Czechoslovakia ^[8]
3–5 August 1973
Clay

Italy
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Jan Kodeš Corrado Barazzutti	5 7	6 3	4 6	6 2	1 6
2	Jiří Hřebec Antonio Zugarelli	12 10	6 1	6 1
3	Jan Kodeš / František Pála Giordano Majoli / Pietro Marzano	6 2	8 6	6 4
4	Jiří Hřebec Corrado Barazzutti	9 7	6 1	6 4
5	Jan Kodeš Antonio Zugarelli	6 1	6 3	0 6	6 2

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw


Semifinals 17–19 August; 16–18 November			Final 30 November–2 December

Melbourne, Australia

EUR-B	Czechoslovakia	1
			Cleveland, OH, United States (indoor carpet)
EAS	Australia	4
			EAS	Australia	5
Alamo, CA, United States (hard)
			AME	United States	0
AME	United States	4

EUR-A	Romania	1

Semifinals

Australia vs. Czechoslovakia

Australia
4

Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne, Australia ^[9]
16–18 November 1973
Grass

Czechoslovakia
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Rod Laver Jan Kodeš	6 3	7 5	7 5
2	John Newcombe Jiří Hřebec	4 6	10 8	4 6	5 7
3	Rod Laver / Ken Rosewall Jan Kodeš / Vladimír Zedník	6 4	14 12	7 9	8 6
4	Rod Laver Jiří Hřebec	5 7	6 3	6 4	4 6	6 4
5	John Newcombe Jan Kodeš	6 2	6 2	6 4

United States vs. Romania

United States
4

Round Hill Country Club, Alamo, CA, United States ^[10]
17–19 August 1973
Hard

Romania
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Marty Riessen Ilie Năstase	2 6	4 6	2 6
2	Stan Smith Toma Ovici	7 5	6 1	6 3
3	Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen Ilie Năstase / Ionel Sânteiu	6 2	7 5	6 2
4	Marty Riessen Toma Ovici	6 1	4 6	6 1	7 5
5	Stan Smith Ilie Năstase	5 7	6 2	6 3	4 6	6 3

Final

United States vs. Australia

United States
0

Public Auditorium, Cleveland, OH, United States ^[3]
30 November–2 December 1973
Carpet (indoors)

Australia
5

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Stan Smith John Newcombe	1 6	6 3	3 6	6 3	4 6
2	Tom Gorman Rod Laver	10 8	6 8	8 6	3 6	1 6
3	Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen Rod Laver / John Newcombe	1 6	2 6	4 6
4	Tom Gorman John Newcombe	2 6	1 6	3 6
5	Stan Smith Rod Laver	3 6	4 6	6 3	2 6

References

^ ^a ^b 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 "United States v Australia". daviscup.com.
^ "United States v Chile". daviscup.com.
^ "Davis Cup - General Records". daviscup.com. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
^ "India v Australia". daviscup.com.
^ "Romania v Soviet Union". daviscup.com.
^ "Czechoslovakia v Italy". daviscup.com.
^ "Australia v Czechoslovakia". daviscup.com.
^ "United States v Romania". 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.

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

[4] "United States v Chile". daviscup.com.

[5] "Davis Cup - General Records". daviscup.com. Retrieved 5 November 2019.

[6] "India v Australia". daviscup.com.

[7] "Romania v Soviet Union". daviscup.com.

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

[9] "Australia v Czechoslovakia". daviscup.com.

[10] "United States v Romania". daviscup.com.

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