It was a quarter of a century ago – that alone is hard to comprehend for some – that one of the quirkiest, craziest matches in the history of tennis happened. It was a match played on March 15, 1987 that people have talked about for years. It is the type of tennis encounter that makes Davis Cup the charm (or nightmare!) that it is. The match was between Jimmy Arias of the United States and little known at that time (and little-known since!) Hugo Chapacu of Paraguay. The details are spelled out in this excerpt from my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com), which presents the events that unfolded over the two-day period.
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March 15, 1987 – In one of the strangest Davis Cup matches in the history of the event, No. 285th-ranked Hugo Chapacu of Paraguay defeats American Jimmy Arias 6-4, 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 9-7 in 5 hours, 5 minutes to square the United States vs. Paraguay Davis Cup first round series at 2-2 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Chapacu is unable to convert a match point at 5-4 in the third set, but comes back from a 1-5 fifth-set deficit and saves three match points to win a force a fifth and decisive match in the series. Writes the Associated Press of the post-match scene, “Jubilant Paraguayans, beating drums and banging tambourines, invaded the center court at the Paraguay Yacht and Golf Club after Chapacu’s victory, carrying the 24-year-old off the court on their shoulders. Arias, a 22-year-old from New York, was knocked to the ground in the melee, but later got up, apparently unhurt, and congratulated Chapacu.”
March 16, 1987 – In a match completed at 2:35 am, Victor Pecci defeats Aaron Krickstein 6-2, 8-6, 9-7 to give Paraguay a startling 3-2 upset of the United States in the Davis Cup first round in Asuncion, Paraguay. Pecci’s win comes after 285th-ranked Hugo Chapacu upsets Jimmy Arias 6-4, 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 9-7 – saving three match points – in 5 hours, 5 minutes to pull Paraguay even with the United States at 2-2. Pecci’s win creates a melee on court as fans envelop the court following match point and carry Pecci – along with teammates Chapacu and Francisco Gonzalez – around the court. Says U.S. Davis Cup Captain Tom Gorman, “I think the world of tennis must recognize that Paraguay is tough to beat playing in Asuncion. I don’t know what we could have done more than we did. Naturally, I have a tremendous feeling of disappointment.”
For Arias, the match has not exactly been a topic high on his preferred tennis discussion list, much like Krickstein is not thrilled to re-live his infamous five-set loss to Jimmy Connors in the fourth round of the 1991 US Open. In a quirky, modern-day twist to the story, in a Facebook photo post of Ariasby former USTA Eastern Section Communications Director Nancy Gill McShea this week, Arias wrote “Want to know the rest of the story? Chapacu friended me on Facebook last week…and I accepted!”