1968 Davis Cup

1968 Davis Cup
Details
Duration20 March – 28 December 1968
Edition57th
Teams49
Champion
Winning nation United States
← 1967
1969 →

The 1968 Davis Cup was the 57th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 32 teams entered the Europe Zone, 9 teams entered the Americas Zone, and 8 teams entered the Eastern Zone. Peru made its first appearance in the tournament, having previously entered on 3 occasions before subsequently withdrawing before competing in a tie.

The United States defeated Ecuador in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, India defeated Japan in the Eastern Inter-Zonal final, and Spain and West Germany were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Italy and South Africa respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, the United States defeated Spain and India defeated West Germany in the semifinals, and then the United States defeated India in the final. The United States then defeated the defending champions Australia in the Challenge Round, ending Australia's four-year title run. The final was played at Memorial Drive Park in Adelaide, Australia on 26–28 December.

Incidents

In what became known as the Båstad riots, the Europe Zone first-round tie between Sweden and Rhodesia, planned to be held in Båstad, Sweden, caused widespread disruption as demonstrators protested the participation of both Rhodesia and South Africa in the tournament. Both countries had been banned from competing in other sports competitions due to their apartheid and white minority rule policies.

Following discussions between the Swedish government and demonstrators, the International Tennis Federation and Swedish Tennis Federation decided to move the tie to a neutral location in Bandol, France.

Americas Zone

Further information: 1968 Davis Cup Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

South America Zone

Quarterfinals
27–29 April		Semifinals
29–31 March; 11–13 May		Final
24–27 May
Caracas, Venezuela
 Venezuela3
Caracas, Venezuela (hard)
 Argentina2
 Venezuela0
 Ecuador3
 Ecuador
Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)
bye
 Ecuador3
 Chile1
bye
Lima, Peru
 Peru
 Peru0
 Chile5
bye
 Chile

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Ecuador


United States
5 		Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC, United States
7–9 June 1968
Carpet (indoor)
Ecuador
0
1 2 3 4 5
1
Arthur Ashe
Pancho Guzmán 		6
3 		6
3 		6
2 		     
2
Clark Graebner
Miguel Olvera 		6
2 		6
1 		6
2 		     
3
Clark Graebner / Bob Lutz
Pancho Guzmán / Miguel Olvera 		6
3 		6
2 		7
5 		     
4
Clark Graebner
Pancho Guzmán 		4
6 		6
3 		6
4 		6
4 		   
5
Arthur Ashe
Miguel Olvera 		6
1 		6
3 		6
0 		     

Eastern Zone

Further information: 1968 Davis Cup Eastern Zone

Zone A

QuarterfinalsSemifinals
23–25 March; 26–28 April		Final
10–12 May
 Indonesiaw/o
Manila, Philippines
 South Vietnam
 Indonesia1
 Philippines4
 Philippines
Tokyo, Japan
bye
 Philippines1
 Japan4
bye
Tokyo, Japan
 South Korea
 South Korea0
 Japan5
bye
 Japan

Zone B

Semifinals
20–22 March		Final
26–28 April
Colombo, Ceylon (clay)
 Malaysia1
Guwahati, India
 Ceylon4
 Ceylon2
 India3
bye
 India

Eastern Inter-Zonal Final

Japan vs. India


Japan
1 		Tokyo, Japan
21–23 September 1968
India
4
1 2 3 4 5
1
Keishiro Yanagi
Premjit Lall 		2
6 		4
6 		3
6 		     
2
Koji Watanabe
Ramanathan Krishnan 		2
6 		6
3 		3
6 		2
6 		   
3
Isao Watanabe / Koji Watanabe
Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea 		2
6 		2
6 		7
5 		6
1 		0
6 		 
4
Keishiro Yanagi
Ramanathan Krishnan 		4
6 		3
6 		1
6 		     
5
Koji Watanabe
Premjit Lall 		8
6 		6
1 		6
2 		     

Europe Zone

Further information: 1968 Davis Cup Europe Zone

Zone A

Zone A Final

Spain vs. Italy


Spain
3 		Real Club de Tenis, Barcelona, Spain
19–21 July 1968
Clay
Italy
2
1 2 3 4 5
1
Juan Gisbert
Martin Mulligan 		6
4 		2
6 		6
2 		6
4 		   
2
Manuel Santana
Nicola Pietrangeli 		6
3 		3
6 		4
6 		6
4 		6
2 		 
3
José Luis Arilla / Manuel Orantes
Martin Mulligan / Nicola Pietrangeli 		5
7 		2
6 		6
3 		3
6 		   
4
Juan Gisbert
Nicola Pietrangeli 		8
6 		6
4 		6
2 		     
5
Manuel Orantes
Martin Mulligan 		6
4 		6
4 		5
7 		3
6 		4
4 		 

Zone B

Zone B Final

West Germany vs. South Africa


West Germany
3 		Düsseldorf, West Germany
19–21 July 1968
South Africa
2
1 2 3 4 5
1
Wilhelm Bungert
Bob Hewitt 		9
7 		7
5 		7
5 		     
2
Ingo Buding
Ray Moore 		6
3 		4
6 		10
8 		6
8 		6
4 		 
3
Ingo Buding / Jürgen Fassbender
Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan 		4
6 		2
6 		4
6 		     
4
Wilhelm Bungert
Ray Moore 		6
1 		6
1 		6
1 		     
5
Ingo Buding
Bob Hewitt 		5
7 		2
6 		6
2 		3
6 		   

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw

Semifinals
14–16 August; 4–6 October		Final
9–11 November
Munich, West Germany
EUR-B West Germany2
San Juan, PR (hard)
EAS India3
EAS India1
Cleveland, OH, United States (hard)
AME United States4
AME United States4
EUR-A Spain1

Semifinals

West Germany vs. India


West Germany
2 		Munich, West Germany
4–6 October 1968
India
3
1 2 3 4 5
1
Ingo Buding
Premjit Lall 		6
2 		2
6 		3
6 		4
6 		   
2
Wilhelm Bungert
Ramanathan Krishnan 		4
6 		6
0 		8
6 		7
5 		   
3
Wilhelm Bungert / Jürgen Fassbender
Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea 		2
6 		2
6 		3
6 		     
4
Ingo Buding
Ramanathan Krishnan 		2
6 		5
7 		2
6 		     
5
Wilhelm Bungert
Premjit Lall 		6
1 		4
6 		6
4 		6
3 		   

United States vs. Spain


United States
4 		Harold Clark Courts, Cleveland, OH, United States
16–19 August 1968
Hard
Spain
1
1 2 3 4 5
1
Clark Graebner
Manuel Santana 		2
6 		3
6 		3
6 		     
2
Arthur Ashe
Juan Gisbert 		6
2 		6
4 		6
2 		     
3
Clark Graebner / Charlie Pasarell
Juan Gisbert / Manuel Santana 		11
13 		17
15 		7
5 		6
2 		   
4
Clark Graebner
Juan Gisbert 		9
7 		6
3 		6
1 		     
5
Arthur Ashe
Manuel Santana 		11
13 		7
5 		6
3 		13
15 		6
4 		 

Final

United States vs. India


United States
4 		Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
9–11 November 1968
Hard
India
1
1 2 3 4 5
1
Arthur Ashe
Premjit Lall 		6
2 		5
7 		6
2 		6
4 		   
2
Clark Graebner
Ramanathan Krishnan 		5
7 		6
4 		2
6 		1
6 		   
3
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith
Ramanathan Krishnan / Jaidip Mukerjea 		6
2 		6
3 		6
2 		     
4
Arthur Ashe
Ramanathan Krishnan 		6
1 		6
3 		6
3 		     
5
Clark Graebner
Premjit Lall 		9
11 		9
7 		7
5 		6
4 		   

Challenge Round

Australia vs. United States


Australia
1 		Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide, Australia
26–28 December 1968
Grass
United States
4
1 2 3 4 5
1
Bill Bowrey
Clark Graebner 		10
8 		4
6 		6
8 		6
3 		1
6 		 
2
Ray Ruffels
Arthur Ashe 		8
6 		5
7 		3
6 		3
6 		   
3
John Alexander / Ray Ruffels
Bob Lutz / Stan Smith 		4
6 		4
6 		2
6 		     
4
Ray Ruffels
Clark Graebner 		6
3 		6
8 		6
2 		3
6 		1
6 		 
5
Bill Bowrey
Arthur Ashe 		2
6 		6
3 		11
9 		8
6 		   

See also

  • The White Game, a 1968 Swedish documentary film about the protests around the match between Sweden and Rhodesia.

References

  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.
  3. ^ a b "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.
  4. ^ Wijk, Johnny (March 7, 2009). "Idrotten tjänar på de politiska aktionerna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "Chile waits for Cup decision". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. September 12, 1975. Retrieved May 7, 2019. Seven years ago, the Swedish Tennis Federation was forced to move a Davis Cup match between Sweden and white-ruled Rhodesia to southern France after demonstrators had clashed with police outside Baastad's tennis stadium.
  6. ^ "United States v Ecuador". daviscup.com.
  7. ^ "Japan v India". daviscup.com.
  8. ^ "Spain v Italy". daviscup.com.
  9. ^ "West Germany v South Africa". daviscup.com.
  10. ^ "West Germany v India". daviscup.com.
  11. ^ "United States v Spain". daviscup.com.
  12. ^ "United States v India". daviscup.com.