The 1977 Davis Cup was the 66th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 59 teams would enter the competition, 33 in the Europe Zone, 14 in the Americas Zone, and 12 in the Eastern Zone. Algeria made its first appearance in the tournament.

1977 Davis Cup
Details
Duration25 August 1976 – 4 December 1977
Edition66th
Teams55
Champion
Winning nation Australia
1976
1978

Argentina defeated the United States in the Americas Zone final, Australia defeated New Zealand in the Eastern Zone final, and France and Italy were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Romania and Spain respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, Australia defeated Argentina and Italy defeated France in the semifinals. Australia then defeated the defending champions Italy in the final to win their 24th title overall and their first since 1973. The final was held at the White City Stadium in Sydney, Australia on 2–4 December.[1][2]

Politics in the Davis Cup

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Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the Davis Cup had been affected by a number of protests and defaults by teams showing their opposition to the apartheid policies and white minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia, and the human rights violations which occurred in Chile under Augusto Pinochet's military junta.

Several high-profile incidents included Mexico's refusal to play South Africa in the 1975 and 1976 Americas Zones, widespread protests in Sweden against the Pinochet junta during the 1975 Inter-Zonal semifinal between Sweden and Chile, and South Africa being awarded the Cup by default in 1974 after India refused to travel to South Africa for the final.[3][4][5]

This show of political will in a sporting context was not welcomed by some, and for a brief time the United States, the inaugural winner of the cup, announced their decision to withdraw from the competition due to the apparent lenience of the tournament's organisers to prevent defaults by teams. In a show of solidarity, Great Britain and France also announced their intention to withdraw.[6]

In response to these withdrawals, the Davis Cup committee made a greater commitment to keep politics out of the competition. The committee subsequently disqualified the Soviet Union as punishment for refusing to play Chile in the 1976 Inter-Zonal semifinals - the Soviets had already been barred from competing in the Federation Cup for refusing to play against South Africa and Rhodesia - from the tournament. The Soviet Union would have their entry rejected in 1978 after informing officials they would refuse to compete against South Africa.

Proposals were also brought forward to bring in an automatic one-year ban for any nation which pulled out of the tournament after the draw had been made, in an effort to prevent teams from defaulting on political grounds: [7] The United States, Great Britain and France all returned and competed in the 1977 tournament.

Americas Zone

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Preliminary rounds

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First RoundQualifying Round
  Brazil
São Paulo, Brazil
bye
  Brazil4
La Paz, Bolivia (clay)
  Bolivia0
  Bolivia4
  Peru1
  Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
bye
  Argentina4
Montevideo, Uruguay (clay)
  Ecuador1
  Uruguay2
  Ecuador3
Caracas, Venezuela
  Venezuela4
Caracas, Venezuela
  Colombia0
  Venezuela1
  United States4
bye
  United States
Ottawa, Canada (indoor carpet)
  Canada5
Ottawa, Canada (indoor carpet)
  Caribbean/West Indies0
  Canada2
  Mexico3
bye
  Mexico

Main Draw

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Quarterfinals
17–19 December 1976
Semifinals
18–20 March; 15–17 April
Final
28 April–1 May
  Chile
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
bye
  Chile1
São Paulo, Brazil (clay)
  Argentina4
  Brazil2
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
  Argentina3
  Argentina3
Tucson, AZ, United States (hard)
  United States2
  United States4
Newport Beach, CA, United States (hard)
  Mexico1
  United States4
  South Africa1
bye
  South Africa

Final

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Argentina vs. United States

 
Argentina
3
Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina[8]
28 April–1 May 1977
Clay
 
United States
2
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Ricardo Cano
Dick Stockton
3
6
6
4
8
6
6
4
   
2  
 
Guillermo Vilas
Brian Gottfried
6
4
6
0
6
2
     
3  
 
Lito Álvarez / Ricardo Cano
Fred McNair / Sherwood Stewart
3
6
3
6
3
6
     
4  
 
Guillermo Vilas
Dick Stockton
5
7
6
2
6
2
6
2
   
5  
 
Ricardo Cano
Brian Gottfried
5
7
5
7
0
6
     

Eastern Zone

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Preliminary rounds

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Main Draw

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Quarterfinals
2–12 December 1976
Semifinals
21–23 January
Final
11–13 February
  New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand (grass)
bye
  New Zealand5
Jakarta, Indonesia
  Indonesia0
  Indonesia5
Auckland, New Zealand (grass)
  Thailand0
  New Zealand0
New Delhi, India
  Australia4
  Japan2
Perth, Australia (grass)
  India3
  India0
  Australia5
bye
  Australia

Final

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New Zealand vs. Australia

 
New Zealand
0
Stanley Street, Auckland, New Zealand[9]
11–13 February 1977
Grass
 
Australia
4
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Onny Parun
Mark Edmondson
3
6
5
7
7
5
4
6
   
2  
 
Brian Fairlie
John Alexander
3
6
2
6
3
6
     
3  
 
Brian Fairlie / Onny Parun
John Alexander / Phil Dent
1
6
6
3
6
4
1
6
4
6
 
4  
 
Onny Parun
John Alexander
11
9
6
4
4
6
3
6
4
6
 
5  
 
Chris Lewis
Mark Edmondson
4
6
6
4
4
6
    not
completed

Europe Zone

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Zone A

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Pre-qualifying rounds

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First RoundQualifying Round
  Iran
Algiers, Algeria (clay)
bye
  Iran4
  Algeria1
  Algeriaw/o
  Morocco

Preliminary rounds

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Main Draw

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Quarterfinals
6–8 May
Semifinals
9–11 June
Final
23–25 July
  Soviet Union
bye
  Soviet Union
Warsaw, Poland
  Francew/o
  Poland0
Paris, France (clay)
  France5
  France3
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
  Romania2
  Romania3
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
  Czechoslovakia1
  Romania4
  Great Britain1
bye
  Great Britain

Final

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France vs. Romania

 
France
3
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France[10]
23–25 July 1977
Clay
 
Romania
2
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
François Jauffret
Ilie Năstase
3
6
0
6
6
4
6
3
6
1
 
2  
 
Patrick Proisy
Dumitru Hărădău
6
2
6
4
8
6
     
3  
 
Patrice Dominguez / François Jauffret
Ilie Năstase / Ion Țiriac
3
6
4
6
6
3
5
7
   
4  
 
François Jauffret
Dumitru Hărădău
6
1
6
4
6
4
     
5  
 
Patrick Proisy
Ilie Năstase
4
6
6
4
6
8
1
6
   

Zone B

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Pre-qualifying rounds

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First RoundQualifying Round
  Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel (hard)
bye
  Israel5
  Turkey0
  Kenya
  Turkeyw/o
  Luxembourg
Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg
bye
  Luxembourg0
  Finland5
bye
  Finland

Preliminary rounds

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First RoundQualifying Round
Scheveningen, Netherlands (clay)
  Netherlands5
Scheveningen, Netherlands (clay)
  Israel0
  Netherlands0
  Yugoslavia5
bye
  Yugoslavia
Athens, Greece (clay)
  Greece3
Athens, Greece (clay)
  Denmark1
  Greece0
  Spain5
bye
  Spain
  Sweden
Uppsala, Sweden (indoor hard)
bye
  Sweden5
Lisbon, Portugal (clay)
  Monaco0
  Portugal1
  Monaco4
Vienna, Austria
  Austria5
Vienna, Austria
  Finland0
  Austria5
  Egypt0
bye
  Egypt

Main Draw

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Quarterfinals
6–8 May
Semifinals
15–25 July
Final
29 July–1 August
  Hungary
Budapest, Hungary (clay)
bye
  Hungary2
Belgrade, Yugoslavia (clay)
  Spain3
  Yugoslavia1
Barcelona, Spain (clay)
  Spain4
  Spain2
Stockholm, Sweden (indoor carpet)
  Italy3
  Sweden5
Båstad, Sweden (clay)
  Austria0
  Sweden1
  Italy4
bye
  Italy

Final

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Spain vs. Italy

 
Spain
2
Barcelona, Spain[11]
29 July–1 August 1977
Clay[12]
 
Italy
3
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
José Higueras
Corrado Barazzutti
6
4
6
4
6
3
     
2  
 
Manuel Orantes
Adriano Panatta
4
6
6
3
3
6
1
6
   
3  
 
José Higueras / Antonio Muñoz
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
4
6
5
7
4
6
     
4  
 
Manuel Orantes
Corrado Barazzutti
5
7
5
7
1
6
     
5  
 
Javier Soler
Adriano Panatta
6
1
6
0
       

Inter-Zonal Zone

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Draw

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Semifinals
14–16 September
Final
2–4 December
Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)
AME  Argentina2
Sydney, Australia (grass)
EAS  Australia3
EAS  Australia3
Rome, Italy (clay)
EUR-A  Italy1
EUR-B  Italy4
EUR-A  France1

Semifinals

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Argentina vs. Australia

 
Argentina
2
Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina[13]
14–16 September 1977
Clay
 
Australia
3
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Guillermo Vilas
Phil Dent
6
2
4
6
7
5
6
3
   
2  
 
Ricardo Cano
John Alexander
4
6
0
6
0
6
     
3  
 
Ricardo Cano / Guillermo Vilas
John Newcombe / Phil Dent
2
6
6
4
7
9
6
4
2
6
 
4  
 
Ricardo Cano
Phil Dent
4
6
4
6
3
6
     
5  
 
Guillermo Vilas
John Alexander
6
4
7
5
4
6
6
2
   

Italy vs. France

 
Italy
4
Foro Italico, Rome, Italy[14]
14–16 September 1977
Clay
 
France
1
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Adriano Panatta
Patrice Dominguez
6
4
4
6
6
4
3
6
6
3
 
2  
 
Corrado Barazzutti
François Jauffret
6
4
2
6
2
6
6
2
6
1
 
3  
 
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
Patrice Dominguez / François Jauffret
6
1
3
6
9
7
6
1
   
4  
 
Adriano Panatta
François Jauffret
6
2
6
1
       
5  
 
Corrado Barazzutti
Patrice Dominguez
2
6
6
0
6
8
     

Final

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Australia vs. Italy

 
Australia
3
White City Stadium, Sydney, Australia[2]
2–4 December 1977
Grass
 
Italy
1
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Tony Roche
Adriano Panatta
6
3
6
4
6
4
     
2  
 
John Alexander
Corrado Barazzutti
6
2
8
6
4
6
6
2
   
3  
 
John Alexander / Phil Dent
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
4
6
4
6
5
7
     
4  
 
John Alexander
Adriano Panatta
6
4
4
6
2
6
8
6
11
9
 
5  
 
Tony Roche
Corrado Barazzutti
12
12
        not
completed

References

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  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. ^ a b "Australia v Italy". daviscup.com.
  3. ^ "Mexicans Shun Davis Cup Foe". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. 8 March 1975. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  4. ^ Anno 75 (1976), Årskalender utgiven av Förlagshuset Norden AB, Malmö, och Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, pp. 35, 36.
  5. ^ Seminara, Dave (2009-11-28). "The Year the Davis Cup Felt Empty". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  6. ^ "U.S. Pulls Out of Davis Cup In Protest". Star-News. United Press International. 2 July 1976. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Soviets Barred from Davis Cup". The Daily Sentinel. United Press International. 8 November 1976. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Argentina v United States". daviscup.com.
  9. ^ "Argentina v Australia". daviscup.com.
  10. ^ "France v Romania". daviscup.com.
  11. ^ "Spain v Italy". daviscup.com.
  12. ^ "Manuel Orantes vs Adriano Panatta". atptour.com.
  13. ^ "Argentina v Australia". daviscup.com.
  14. ^ "Italy v France". daviscup.com.
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