2012 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS

Written by: Staff on 8th February 2012

2012 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (3rd R) and his teammates (L-R) captain Albert Costa, Feliciano Lopez, Marcel Granollers, David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco pose with the Davis Cup trophy after Nadal defeated Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro in their match of the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the Olympic stadium in Seville, southern Spain, 04 December 2011. Nadal won 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 and 7-6 (0) and achieved the fifth Davis Cup title for Spain. EPA/JULIO MUNOZ |

(s) Spain v Kazakhstan – Oviedo, ESP – clay (indoors)

Austria v (s) Russia – Wiener Neustadt, AUT – hard (indoors)

Canada v (s) France – Vancouver, CAN – hard (indoors)

Switzerland v (s) USA – Fribourg, SUI – clay (indoors)

(s) Czech Republic v Italy – Ostrava, CZE – hard (indoors)

(s) Serbia v Sweden – Nis, SRB – hard (indoors)

Japan v (s) Croatia – Hyogo, JPN – hard (indoors)

Germany v (s) Argentina – Bamberg, GER – clay (indoors)

(s) = seed

Last year’s champions Spain begin the defence of their title with a home tie against Kazakhstan. Spain are looking to equal Germany in 2nd place on the list of nations with the longest run of wins at home. The Spanish have won their last 21 ties on home soil. Italy hold the record with 28 wins at home from 1949 through 1964.

Austria are bidding to reach the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since 1995. They have lost in the first round in each of their last 9 appearances in the World Group. They play host to Russia in Wiener Neustadt this weekend.

Both Canada and Japan are bidding to win their first World Group ties this weekend. The Canadians face a difficult task at home to France, while the Japanese team is looking to capture its first World Group rubber in its home tie against Croatia.

There are 2 former Davis Cup Final match-ups in the first round. Switzerland and USA, who did battle in the Final in 1992, go head-to-head in Fribourg. In their 3 previous meetings, the home side has always won. In Ostrava, Czech Republic take on Italy in a re-match of the 1980 Final. Ivan Lendl inspired Czechoslovakia that year to win the Czechs’ only title to date.

Since the World Group was introduced in 1981, at least one unseeded nation has always reached the quarterfinals with a record four doing so in 1987 and 2005. This is the 32nd year of the World Group.

CHOICE OF GROUND – WORLD GROUP QUARTERFINALS

The winners of this weekend’s ties advance to the quarterfinals on 6-8 April. Below is the choice of ground for all potential quarterfinal match-ups. The venue details are due to be submitted to the ITF by 27 February.

	AUSTRIA	RUSSIA
SPAIN	ESP	RUS
KAZAKHSTAN	AUT	RUS

	SWITZERLAND	USA
CANADA	CAN	CAN
FRANCE	FRA	FRA

	SERBIA	SWEDEN
CZECH REPUBLIC	CZE	CZE
ITALY	ITA	ITA

	GERMANY	ARGENTINA
JAPAN	GER	ARG
CROATIA	GER	ARG

The losing nations in this weekend’s ties will compete in September’s World Group play-offs, the draw for which is on Wednesday 11 April.

PAST CHAMPIONS

In total, 13 nations have won the Davis Cup.

USA 32

Australia 28

France, Great Britain 9

Sweden 7

Spain 5

Germany 3

Russia 2

Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Serbia, South Africa 1

ALL FIVE TO FIVE…

Only twice have all 5 rubbers of a Davis Cup tie gone to 5 sets: 1946 European Zone semifinal, Yugoslavia defeated France 3-2 and 2003 World Group play-off, Romania defeated Ecuador 3-2.

COMEBACKS FROM 0-2 DOWN…

There have been just 7 comebacks from 0-2 down in World Group ties. Sweden has produced 4 of these comebacks including the most recent one in 1998 (Sweden d. Slovak Republic 3-2, first Round). In the Davis Cup overall there have been 46 since the competition began in 1900.

TOP TIEBREAKS…

The highest number of tiebreaks in a Davis Cup tie is 11 (Croatia d. Brazil 4-1, 2008 World Group play-off).

PARTICIPATING NATIONS…

123 nations have entered the 2012 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas.

DAVIS CUP NATIONS RANKING…

The ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking was launched at the end of 2001. It is published following every tie weekend and measures success over the preceding 4-year period, with recent performances weighted more heavily. It is the sole criteria for seeding at all levels of Davis Cup competition.

Latest Davis Cup Nations Ranking (5 December 2011)

1	Spain	11	Israel
2	Serbia	12	Sweden
3	Argentina	13	Italy
4	France	14	Canada
5	Czech Republic	15	Switzerland
6	USA	16	Austria
7	Croatia	17	Japan
8	Russia	18	Chile
9	Germany	19	India
10	Kazakhstan	20	Australia

DAVIS CUP RECORDS^

World Group

Davis Cup

Most Games in a Tie (post-tiebreak*)

275:

France d. Switzerland 3-2, 2001 Quarterfinal

281:

Romania d. Ecuador 3-2, 2003 WG Play-off

Most Games in a Tie (pre-tiebreak*)

281:

Paraguay d. France 3-2, 1985 First Round

327:

India d. Australia 3-2, 1974 Eastern Zone Final

Most Games in a Singles Rubber

(post-tiebreak*)

82:

Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Ivo Karkovic (CRO) 2009 Semifinal

82:

Richard Ashby (BAR) d. Jose Medrano (BOL) 1991 Americas II, First Round

Most Games in a Singles Rubber

(pre-tiebreak*)

85:

Michael Westphal (FRG) d. Tomas Smid (TCH) 1985 Semifinal

100:

Harry Fritz (CAN) d. Jorge Andrew (VEN)

1982 Americas Zone Semifinal

Most Games in a Doubles Rubber

(post-tiebreak*)

77:

Arnold-Ker/Nalbandian (ARG) d. Kafelnikov/Safin (RUS), 2002 Semifinal

78:

Di Laura/Noriega (PER) d. Menezes/Roese (BRA), 1991 Americas I First Round

Most Games in a Doubles Rubber

(pre-tiebreak*)

77 (twice):

Annacone/Flach (USA) d. Cash/Fitzgerald (AUS) 1986 Semifinal

Casal/Sanchez (ESP) d. Gonzalez/Pecci (PAR) 1987 Quarterfinal

122:

Smith/Van Dillen (USA) d. Cornejo/ Fillol (CHI), 1973 American Zone Final

Most Games in a Set (singles)

40 (21-19):

Carlos Kirmayr (BRA) v Uli Pinner (FRG)

1981 Relegation Tie

46 (24-22 twice):

Alvaro Betancur (COL) v Dale Power (CAN) 1976 American Zone

Andrei Chesnokov (URS) v Michiel Schapers (NED), 1987 European Zone

Most Games in a Set (doubles)

40 (21-19):

Edberg/Jarryd (SWE) v Amritraj/Amritraj (IND) 1985 Quarterfinal

76 (39-37):

Cornejo/ Fillol (CHI) v Smith/Van Dillen (USA) 1973 American Zone Final

Longest Fifth Set (Singles)

17-15 (twice):

Michael Westphal (FRG) v Tomas Smid (TCH) 1985 Semifinal

Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) v Andy Roddick (USA) 2006 Semifinal

20-18 (twice):

Richard Ashby (BAR) v Jose Medrano (BOL), 1991 Americas II, First Round.

Nuno Marques (POR) v Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)

1998 Europe/Africa II, Second Round

Longest Fifth Set (Doubles)

19-17:

Arnold-Ker/Nalbandian (ARG) v Kafelnikov/Safin (RUS), 2002 Semifinal

23-21:

Fernandes/Vieira (BRA) v Avidan-Weiss /Davidman (ISR), 1957 American Zone Semifinal

Longest recorded

playing-time (tie)

21 hours, 2 minutes:

France d. Switzerland 3-2, 2001 Quarterfinal

21 hours, 37 minutes:

Romania d. Ecuador 3-2, 2003 WG Play-off

Longest singles rubber

6 hours, 22 minutes:

John McEnroe (USA) d.

Mats Wilander (SWE), 1982 Quarterfinal

see World Group

Longest doubles rubber

6 hours, 20 minutes:

Arnold-Ker/Nalbandian (ARG) d. Kafelnikov/Safin (RUS), 2002 Semifinal

see World Group

Fewest number of games conceded in a tie

26:

Germany d. Indonesia 5-0, 1989 First Round

Sri Lanka d. Syria – 1991 Asia/Oceania II, First Round

Longest tiebreak*

15-13:

Patrick Rafter (AUS) d. David Rikl (CZE),

1997 First Round

19-17:

Young-Jun Kim (KOR) d. Aqeel Khan (PAK),

2003 Asia/Oceania Zone Group I

*the tiebreak was introduced in Davis Cup in 1989; ^for further details see 2012 Davis Cup Media Guide, General Records, p. 164-70

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