How did the Davis Cup turn into the world’s biggest staff competitors?
The Davis Cup was first held in 1900 as a contest between the United States and Great Britain. Today, 123 years later, it is the world’s largest annual sports activities worldwide staff competitors, with 155 nations collaborating this 12 months.
Concept
The thought for the Davis Cup dates again to 1899 when 4 Harvard college students wished to problem Great Britain to a duel. After the two tennis associations agreed, one in all the 4 college students, Dwight Davis, got here up with the idea of the tournament.
The first version of the tournament came about in 1900. The USA performed Great Britain, which at the time was nonetheless competing as the British Isles. At the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, the American quartet surprisingly took the lead by profitable their first three video games. The tournament was initially referred to as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, however was quickly renamed the Davis Cup after Dwight Davis.
Development of the Davis Cup
In 1905, the Davis Cup was expanded to incorporate France, Austria, Belgium and Australasia, with a mixed staff of gamers from Australia and New Zealand. In the Twenties, greater than 20 nations often participated in the competitors.
In the early years, the USA, Great Britain and Australia dominated till 1927, when France started an excellent six-12 months profitable streak.
From the Thirties, the US, Britain and Australia regained management, and it wasn’t till the Nineteen Seventies that one other nation received once more. In 1969, a 12 months after the begin of the Open period in tennis (since then, not solely amateurs, but in addition skilled gamers had been despatched to the most necessary tennis tournaments), the Davis Cup was first contested by 50 nations.
In 1981, the Davis Cup format was modified and a world group consisting of 16 nations was shaped. The remainder of the nations had been divided into regional zone teams the place promotion and relegation had been potential. A brand new period started in the Eighties, when Sweden received three titles. But Germany additionally received 3 times in six years. In 1993, 100 nations participated in the Davis Cup for the first time.
Rakuten Davis Cup Finals
The present format of the tournament has been in place since 2019. In the closing spherical, 16 groups divided into 4 teams will play one another. The first two locations in every group qualify for the quarterfinals. Two singles matches and one doubles match might be performed in the closing match. A win is equal to 1 level, whoever will get two factors first wins. Four singles and one doubles might be performed in the qualifying spherical. Accordingly, the winner wants three factors. All video games are performed in units of two attracts (“Best of Three”).
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