With Spain and Argentina set to do battle in the Davis Cup Final in Sevilla, Spain, WorldTennisMagazine.com looks back at some of the great moments in the history of the Davis Cup with excerpts from Randy Walker’s book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The following is the excerpt from the December 1 chapter.
1995 – In one of the most dramatic moments of his career, Pete Sampras collapses in cramps on match point as he outlasts Andrei Chesnokov 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to give the United States a 1-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup Final in Moscow, Russia. Struggling with cramps in both hamstrings in the latter stages of the fifth set, the top-ranked Sampras guts out a 25-stroke rally on the final point of the match to dramatically fend off the pesky No. 91-ranked Chesnokov in 3 hours, 38 minutes. Writes Lee Hockstader of the Washington Post, “Pete Sampras didn’t walk off the court after his grueling five-set victory against Russia’s Andrei Chesnokov. He didn’t limp off the court. He didn’t even manage to crawl off the court. He was dragged from it — his cramped legs limp beneath him — by two U.S. Davis Cup teammates seconds after a heart-stopping, hair-raising, 25-stroke match point that left the Russian crowd in an uproar and Sampras flat on his back in pain. You might say he was lucky to get out alive.” Says U.S. Davis Cup Captain Tom Gullikson of Sampras and overcoming his cramping in the fifth set, “Pete has that low-key approach – and I think that helps him, because in tight spots a lot of people show their competitiveness more and get fired up. But then their muscles get so tight they can’t swing at the ball. One of Pete’s real strengths is that he hits out in the big moments.” Yevgeny Kafelnikov defeats Jim Courier 7-6, 7-5, 6-3 to even the score at 1-1 after the first day of play.
1991 – France wins the Davis Cup for the first time in 59 years – since the last of six titles by the famed Four Musketeers in 1932 – as Guy Forget upsets Davis Cup rookie Pete Sampras 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch France’s 3-1 triumph over the United States in the Davis Cup Final in Lyon, France. The win causes an uproarious celebration as the crowd sings the French national anthem, The Marseilles, dance and applaud, while Forget, teammate Henri Leconte and French captain Yannick Noah run around the court with the French Flag. Noah then leads his team and support staff in a conga-line around the court. Says Forget of the glory of winning the Davis Cup, “I don’t think the Americans realize how much the Davis Cup means to the French team and the public. We have World Cup soccer, the Tour de France and the Davis Cup. In America, they have 10 different things more important than the Davis Cup.” Sampras, playing in his first Davis Cup series, also loses on the opening day of the best-of-five-match series to Henri Leconte. Says the world No. 6 of the loss, “It’s very disappointing. I feel like I’ve let down my team… so life goes on, really.”
1996 – France wins the Davis Cup title for an eighth time in the wildest final day in Davis Cup history as the final two singles matches last a total of 9 hours, 12 minutes in Malmo, Sweden. With France leading 2-1 entering the third and final day of the best-of –five-match series, Cedric Pioline of France nearly clinches victory in the fourth rubber, leading No. 9-ranked Thomas Enqvist of Sweden two-sets to love and 5-2 in the final set, only to lose 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 in 4 hours, 25 minutes. Arnaud Boetsch of France, ranked No. 31, then wins the closest Cup-deciding match in the event’s history, beating No. 64 ranked Nicklas Kulti, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8. Boetsch saves triple-Cup point down at 6-7, 0-40 in the fifth set, but wins the epic in 4 hours, 47 minutes.
2007 – The United States ends its longest title drought in Davis Cup history, winning its first title in 12 years as identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan defeat Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-2 giving the United States a clinching 3-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup Final in Portland, Ore. “No words can explain how we feel right now, except Woooooooo!” Mike Bryan says to the crowd following the victory, the record 32nd title for the United States. The Bryans victory comes a day after their teammates Andy Roddick and James Blake put the United States up 2-0 on the first day of play. Roddick, the No. 6 player in the world, defeats Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match and No. 13 ranked Blake beats Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3). Says U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe after the Bryans clinching victory, “It’s been a long road; I couldn’t be happier for those guys, because they’ve been through it all together.”
1990 – In front of a crowd of 18,156 fans at the Florida Suncoast Dome – the most to watch a Davis Cup match in the United States – Rick Leach and Jim Pugh clinch the 29th Davis Cup title for the United States as they defeat Pat Cash and John Fitzgerald 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in 3 hours, 6 minutes in the Davis Cup Final in St. Petersburg, Fla. The title is the first for the United States in eight years when John McEnroe leads the U.S. to victory over France in the 1982 Final in Grenoble, France.
1973 – Rod Laver and John Newcombe defeat Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 giving Australia a match-clinching 3-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup Final in Cleveland, Ohio. The win ends the five-year reign of the United States as Davis Cup champions and earns Australia its 23rd Davis Cup title. Laver and Newcombe’s win takes only 66 minutes and is the worst doubles loss ever inflicted upon a U.S. Davis Cup team. Newcombe and Laver never face a break point, serve nine love games and lose only one point on serve in the third set. Says Laver, “I think it’s the best I’ve played in doubles.