1968 Davis Cup

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.

1968 Davis Cup

Details
Duration	20 March – 28 December 1968
Edition	57th
Teams	49
Champion
Winning nation	United States
← 1967 1969 →

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.^[1][2][3]

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.^[4][5]

Americas Zone

Further information: 1968 Davis Cup Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

	Semifinals 3–13 May					Final 24–26 May
	Richmond, VA, United States (hard)
	United States		5
						Berkeley, CA, United States (hard)
	Caribbean/West Indies		0
						United States		5
	Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
						Mexico		0
	Canada		0
	Mexico		5

South America Zone

Quarterfinals 27–29 April

Semifinals 29–31 March; 11–13 May

Final 24–27 May

Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuela

3

Caracas, Venezuela (hard)

Argentina

2

Venezuela

0

Ecuador

3

Ecuador

Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)

bye

Ecuador

3

Chile

1

bye

Lima, Peru

Peru

Peru

0

Chile

5

bye

Chile

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

United States vs. Ecuador

United States 5	Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC, United States[6] 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

Quarterfinals

Semifinals 23–25 March; 26–28 April

Final 10–12 May

Indonesia

w/o

Manila, Philippines

South Vietnam

Indonesia

1

Philippines

4

Philippines

Tokyo, Japan

bye

Philippines

1

Japan

4

bye

Tokyo, Japan

South Korea

South Korea

0

Japan

5

bye

Japan

Zone B

	Semifinals 20–22 March					Final 26–28 April
	Colombo, Ceylon (clay)
	Malaysia		1
						Guwahati, India
	Ceylon		4
						Ceylon		2
						India		3
	bye
	India

Eastern Inter-Zonal Final

Japan vs. India

Japan 1	Tokyo, Japan[7] 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

First Round 26 April–7 May

Quarterfinals 23–26 May

Semifinals 13–16 June

Final 19–21 July

Valencia, Spain (clay)

Spain

3

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Netherlands

2

Spain

4

Bandol, France (hard)

Sweden

1

Sweden

4

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Rhodesia

1

Spain

4

Bournemouth, England (clay)

Great Britain

1

Great Britain

3

London, England (grass)

France

0

Great Britain

5

Helsinki, Finland (clay)

Finland

0

Finland

4

Barcelona, Spain (clay)

Portugal

1

Spain

3

Tbilisi, Soviet Union

Italy

2

Soviet Union

4

Moscow, Soviet Union

Greece

1

Soviet Union

5

Zagreb, Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

0

Yugoslavia

4

Reggio Emilia, Italy (clay)

New Zealand

0

Soviet Union

2

Cagliari, Italy (clay)

Italy

3

Italy

5

Biella, Italy (clay)

Hungary

0

Italy

5

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monaco

0

Monaco

3

Ireland

1

Zone A Final

Spain vs. Italy

Spain 3	Real Club de Tenis, Barcelona, Spain[8] 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

First Round 28 April–6 May

Quarterfinals 17–26 May

Semifinals 14–16 June

Final 19–21 July

Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

5

Sofia, Bulgaria

Turkey

0

Bulgaria

0

Freiburg, West Germany

West Germany

5

Switzerland

1

Munich, West Germany (clay)

West Germany

4

West Germany

4

Brussels, Belgium

Czechoslovakia

1

Belgium

3

Brussels, Belgium (clay)

Poland

2

Belgium

2

Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)

Czechoslovakia

3

Czechoslovakia

3

Düsseldorf, West Germany

Brazil

2

West Germany

3

Luxembourg, Luxembourg (clay)

South Africa

2

Luxembourg

1

Oslo, Norway (clay)

Norway

4

Norway

0

Bucharest, Romania (clay)

Romania

5

Romania

4

Denmark

1

Romania

Tehran, Iran

South Africa

w/o

Iran

4

Tehran, Iran

Israel

1

Iran

0

Linz, Austria

South Africa

5

Austria

0

South Africa

5

Zone B Final

West Germany vs. South Africa

West Germany 3	Düsseldorf, West Germany[9] 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 Germany	2
						San Juan, PR (hard)
	EAS	India	3
						EAS	India	1
	Cleveland, OH, United States (hard)
						AME	United States	4
	AME	United States	4
	EUR-A	Spain	1

Semifinals

West Germany vs. India

West Germany 2	Munich, West Germany[10] 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[11] 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[12] 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[3] 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. "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.
4. Wijk, Johnny (2009-03-07). "Idrotten tjänar på de politiska aktionerna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2012-06-26.
5. "Chile waits for Cup decision". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 12 September 1975. Retrieved 7 May 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.

External links

• Davis Cup Official Website