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Indies teams had all pulled out of the 1978 tournament, and in 1977 the United States, Great Britain and France had all withdrawn in protest to the continued politicisation of the Cup before eventually re-entering following concessions.[2][3] South Africa would not be allowed to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, California, United States on 14–16 December.[4][5]

Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

Preliminary Rounds

  First Round
6–8 October 1978
Qualifying Round
27–29 October 1978
                 
  Mexico  
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
 bye  
    Mexico 3
    Canada 2
 bye
  Canada  
  Colombia  
Bogotá, Colombia
 bye  
    Colombia 4
Nassau, Bahamas
    Venezuela 1
  Caribbean/West Indies 2
  Venezuela 3  

Main Draw

  Semifinals
8–10 December 1978
Final
16–18 March
                 
 
    United States  
   bye     Cleveland, OH, United States (indoor hard)
      United States 5
  Mexico City, Mexico (clay)     Colombia 0
    Mexico 2
    Colombia 3  

South America Zone

Preliminary Rounds

  First Round
22 September–8 October 1978
Qualifying Round
27 October–1 November 1978
                 
  Argentina  
Guayaquil, Ecuador (indoor carpet)
 bye  
    Argentina 4
Guayaquil, Ecuador (indoor carpet)
    Ecuador 1
  Ecuador 4
  Peru 1  
Cochabamba, Bolivia (clay)
  Bolivia 0  
Itu, Brazil
  Brazil 5  
    Brazil 4
    Uruguay 0
 bye
  Uruguay  

Main Draw

  Semifinals
8–10 December 1978
Final
16–18 March
                 
  Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
    Argentina 5  
    Brazil 0     Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
      Argentina 3
      Chile 2
   bye
    Chile  

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Argentina


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

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

Eastern Zone

Preliminary Rounds

  Pre-Qualifying Round
2–4 October 1978
Preliminary Round
3–5 November 1978
                 
  Philippines  
 bye  
    Philippines
Peshawar, Pakistan
    Pakistan w/o
  Pakistan 3
  South Korea 2  
  Chinese Taipei w/o  
Jakarta, Indonesia
  Malaysia  
    Chinese Taipei 0
    Indonesia 4
 bye
  Indonesia  

Main Draw

  Quarterfinals
5–10 December 1978
Semifinals
9–12 February
Final
16–19 March
                           
 
    New Zealand  
   bye     Christchurch, New Zealand (grass)
      New Zealand 3  
  Kasuga, Japan     Japan 0  
    Japan 4
    Pakistan 1     Christchurch, New Zealand (grass)
      New Zealand 2
  Ahmedabad, India       Australia 3
    Indonesia 1  
    India 4     Madras, India (clay)
      India 2
      Australia 3  
   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
Onny Parun
Mark Edmondson
3
6
6
3
6
3
6
2
   
2
Russell Simpson
John Alexander
4
6
6
4
5
7
4
6
   
3
Onny Parun / Russell Simpson
John Alexander / Phil Dent
4
6
7
9
3
6
     
4
Russell Simpson
Mark Edmondson
3
6
2
6
4
6
     
5
Onny Parun
John Alexander
7
5
6
3
6
3
     

Europe Zone

Zone A

Preliminary Rounds

  First Round
15–17 September 1978
Qualifying Round
16–18 March
                 
  Poland  
Warsaw, Poland
 bye  
    Poland 4
Helsinki, Finland
    Finland 1
  Finland 5
  Morocco 0  
  Italy  
Palermo, Italy (clay)
 bye  
    Italy 5
Athens, Greece (clay)
    Denmark 0
  Greece 1
  Denmark 4  
  Austria  
Vienna, Austria
 bye  
    Austria 5
Cairo, Egypt (clay)
    Egypt 0
  Egypt 5
  Portugal 0  
  Spain  
Barcelona, Spain
 bye  
    Spain 5
Monte Carlo, Monaco
    Soviet Union 0
  Monaco 1
  Soviet Union 4  

Main Draw

  Quarterfinals
15–17 June
Semifinals
13–15 July
Final
14–16 September
                           
 
    Hungary  
   bye     Rome, Italy (clay)
      Hungary 2  
  Warsaw, Poland     Italy 3  
    Poland 1
    Italy 4     Rome, Italy (clay)
      Italy 4
  Vienna, Austria       Great Britain 1
    Austria 1  
    Spain 3     Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)
      Spain 1
      Great Britain 4  
   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
Adriano Panatta
Buster Mottram
0
6
4
6
4
6
     
2
Corrado Barazzutti
John Lloyd
6
1
6
4
6
4
     
3
Corrado Barazzutti / Antonio Zugarelli
Mark Cox / David Lloyd
7
5
10
8
6
1
     
4
Adriano Panatta
John Lloyd
6
3
6
2
6
3
     
5
Corrado Barazzutti
Buster Mottram
8
6
7
5
       

Zone B

Pre-Qualifying Round

  Pre-Qualifying Round
August 1978
       
  Ankara, Turkey
    Turkey 0
    Iran 5

Preliminary Rounds

  First Round
15–17 September 1978
Qualifying Round
16–18 March
                 
Amersfoort, Netherlands (clay)
  Netherlands 4  
Amsterdam, Netherlands (indoor carpet)
  Norway 1  
    Netherlands 2
    France 3
 bye
  France  
Geneva, Switzerland
   Switzerland 3  
Zürich, Switzerland
  Iran 2  
     Switzerland 4
    Yugoslavia 1
 bye
  Yugoslavia  
  Israel w/o  
Augsburg, West Germany
  Nigeria  
    Israel 2
    West Germany 3
 bye
  West Germany  
Brussels, Belgium
  Belgium 5  
Brussels, Belgium
  Ireland 0  
    Belgium 1
    Romania 4
 bye
  Romania  

Main Draw

  Quarterfinals
15–17 June
Semifinals
13–15 July
Final
14–16 September
                           
 
    Czechoslovakia  
   bye     Paris, France (clay)
      Czechoslovakia 4  
  Paris, France (clay)     France 1  
    France 5
     Switzerland 0     Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)
      Czechoslovakia 3
  Bucharest, Romania (clay)       Sweden 2
    Romania 4  
    West Germany 1     Bucharest, Romania (clay)
      Romania 2
      Sweden 3  
   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
Tomáš Šmíd
Kjell Johansson
6
4
6
3
6
2
     
2
Ivan Lendl
Björn Borg
4
6
5
7
2
6
     
3
Jan Kodeš / Tomáš Šmíd
Ove Bengtson / Björn Borg
2
6
6
3
6
4
6
0
   
4
Ivan Lendl
Kjell Johansson
8
10
6
4
6
4
4
6
6
1
 
5
Tomáš Šmíd
Per Hjertquist
3
5
        retired
 

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw

  Semifinals
5–8 October
Final
14–16 December
                 
  Sydney, Australia (grass)
  AME   United States 4  
  EAS   Australia 1     San Francisco, CA, United States (indoor carpet)
    AME   United States 5
  Rome, Italy (clay)   EUR-A   Italy 0
  EUR-B   Czechoslovakia 1
  EUR-A   Italy 4  

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
Mark Edmondson
Vitas Gerulaitis
8
6
16
14
8
10
3
6
3
6
 
2
John Alexander
John McEnroe
7
9
2
6
7
9
     
3
John Alexander / Phil Dent
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
9
7
6
4
6
4
     
4
John Alexander
Vitas Gerulaitis
7
5
4
6
6
8
2
6
   
5
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
Corrado Barazzutti
Tomáš Šmíd
1
6
6
3
1
6
6
3
5
7
 
2
Adriano Panatta
Ivan Lendl
6
4
1
6
6
0
6
0
   
3
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
Jan Kodeš / Tomáš Šmíd
6
8
6
2
6
1
6
2
   
4
Corrado Barazzutti
Ivan Lendl
4
6
6
1
6
2
3
6
7
5
 
5
Adriano Panatta
Tomáš Šmíd
6
3
6
2
       

Final

United States vs. Italy


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

Italy
0
1 2 3 4 5
1
Vitas Gerulaitis
Corrado Barazzutti
6
2
3
2
       
retired
2
John McEnroe
Adriano Panatta
6
2
6
3
6
4
     
3
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
6
4
12
10
6
2
     
4
John McEnroe
Antonio Zugarelli
6
4
6
3
6
1
     
5
Vitas Gerulaitis
Adriano Panatta
6
1
6
3
6
3
     
gollark: Yes.
gollark: If only I could somehow *combine* potatOS and the staff of travelling.
gollark: Honestly, the staff of travelling, as well as the dimensional transceivers, spawners, travel anchors, capacitors and weather control devices, is basically the only thing in EIO I like.
gollark: So convenient; you don't have to bother with nonsense like "walking".
gollark: They're probably EIO's best feature.

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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