#360stats: Davis Cup history in numbers

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  • Use #360stats to have your say on all the Davis Cup numbers below.

    Great Britain take on Belgium in Ghent this weekend with the 2015 Davis Cup on the line. The World Group final will be held at the Flanders Expo, a multi-purpose indoor arena, with all matches taking place on clay.

    Andy Murray leads the British team into their first Davis Cup Final since 1978 and the World No. 2 could create another slice of history and end a 79-year wait for the Brits. Baby-faced assassin David Goffin is the main hope for Belgium as they will try to become only the 15th nation to win the title.

    Sport360 brings you some mind-boggling numbers & number-crunching stats from the Davis Cup.

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    A BRIEF HISTORY

    1900 –1st Davis Cup was played between USA & GBR (as the British Isles). It was held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston with the Americans winning with an unassailable 3-0 lead.

    1936 – The last time Great Britain won the Davis Cup, when they defeated Australia in the Challenge Round. The legendary Fred Perry won the deciding rubber against Aussie Jack Crawford at Tennis’ Holy Grail – the Wimbledon Centre Court.

    1972 – Abolition of the Challenge Round, meaning that the defending champion has to play in each round, instead of receiving a bye into the final.

    1974 – Final cancelled and South Africa handed the Davis Cup after India declined to travel to South Africa for the final in protest against the apartheid policies of their opponents’ government.

    1981 – World Group format introduced with 16-nations competing for glory each year. Remaining nations divided into Regional Zone Groups with promotion and relegation on offer.

    2012 – The 100th Davis Cup Final was played at the O2 Arena in Prague between hosts Czech Republic and defending champions Spain. The Czechs clinched a nail-biting tie that went down to the wire, winning 3-2.

    Largest Recorded Attendance

    KEY NUMBERS

    1 – Germany (1988) is the only nation in the history to win the title without the loss of a single live rubber.

    2 – Defending champions have lost their play-off ties and subsequently relegated – France (1997) & Sweden (1999). Only 2 nations have won the titles on all 4 surfaces – USA & France. Only 2 ties in history have gone to 5 sets in all the 5 rubbers (neither was a final).

    3 – The Spanish foursome of Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez are the active players with most Davis Cup Titles.

    4 – Different surfaces have been used for the finals; Grass – 55, Clay – 26, Carpet – 11, Hard – 11. Argentina are the only nation to have played in 4 Davis Cup finals and failed to win the title.

    4 – Nations have reached the Finals without the loss of a live Rubber (South Africa – 1974, USA – 1984, Germany – 1988, 1993, France – 2010).

    5 – Nations that have successfully retained their title: USA (1978-79 & 1981-82), Sweden (1984-85 & 1997-98), Germany (1988-89), Spain (2008-09), Czech Republic (2012-13). 

    6 – Only 6 players have won three live rubbers in a final – John McEnroe did it twice. Andy Murray could become the first man since coach Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden, 1998) to win three rubbers in a final (2 Singles + 1 Doubles)

    7 – Consecutive titles won by USA between 1920 and 1926 – the all-time record.

    7 – Consecutive final appearances for Sweden from 1983-89; the most since the start of the Final Round. 

    8 – Titles won by Australian Roy Emerson – the player with the most Davis Cup Titles.

    9 – Defending champions have been eliminated in the Opening tie since 1972. 2014 champions Switzerland were latest to join this disreputable list when they lost to Belgium (2-3) in March of this year. .

    14 – Nations have won the Davis Cup since USA won the inaugural event in 1900.

    20 – Belgium’s David Goffin is on a 20-set Davis Cup winning streak heading into the final.

    22 – Davis Cup finals have been decided by the 5th and final rubber. Radek Stepanek was the last man to win a deciding 5th rubber (2013, Czech Republic vs Serbia). 

    25 – Andy Murray has won 25 of his 27 Davis Cup singles rubbers, losing both the matches on clay.

    32 – Titles won by USA; the all-time record. Australia have won the event 28 times followed by France and Great Britain (nine each).

    33 – Bjorn Borg won 33 consecutive Davis Cup Singles rubbers (1973-80); the best singles streak ever. Marcos Baghdatis (32), Rafel Nadal (22), Boris Becker (22) are next in line. Andy Murray managed to win 19 singles rubbers between 2006-14.

    1-2 – A nation managed has comeback from 2-1 down to win the title on SIX occasions. Serbia were the last team to achieve this feat in 2010 against France when Novak Djokovic & Viktor Troicki won their last day singles rubbers.

    0-2  – Even rarer, a 0-2 deficit has been overturned just once, when Australia defeated USA (3-2) in the 1939final. John Bromwich & Adrian Quist led the fightback for the Aussies.

    8-0 John McEnroe is the only man to win all eight singles rubbers since the introduction of the World Group in 1982; Andy Murray can match this record.

    Double Trouble – Since 1972, the Winning team has lost the doubles rubber only five times in the final (most recently in 2011 when Spain defeated Argentina).

    Triple Triple – Only three men have won the triple crown of Tennis (Grand Slam + Olympic Gold + Davis Cup) – Murray will be looking to join Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

    18 years, 30 days – Boris Becker is the youngest to play and win a singles rubber in a Davis Cup final, in 1985 against Sweden.

    34 years, 347 days – Radek Stepanek (CZE) became the oldest player to win a deciding fifth rubber in a Davis Cup Final in 2013.

    Home Team Advantage – Since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1972, 25 Finals have been won by the home team and 17 by the visiting team.

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