1972 Davis Cup
Details
Duration20 March – 15 October 1972
Edition61st
Teams52
Champion
Winning nation United States
1971
1973

The 1972 Davis Cup was the 61st edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 55 teams would enter the competition, 33 in the Europe Zone, 11 in the Americas Zone, and 11 in the Eastern Zone.

From this year's tournament onward, the Challenge Round was abolished, meaning the defending champion would now play in all matches rather than receiving a bye to the final, and the winner of the Inter-Zonal Zone would win the Davis Cup.

The United States defeated Chile in the Americas Inter-Zonal final, Australia defeated India in the Eastern Inter-Zonal final, and Romania and Spain were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, the United States defeated Spain and Romania defeated Australia in the semifinals. The United States then defeated Romania in the final, giving the United States their fifth straight title. The final was played at the Club Sportiv Progresul in Bucharest, Romania on 13–15 October.[1][2][3]

Americas Zone

Further information: 1972 Davis Cup Americas Zone

North & Central America Zone

Semifinals
20–22 March; 12–14 May
Final
16–18 June
Kingston, Jamaica (indoor carpet)
 United States4
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
 Caribbean/West Indies1
 United States5
Vancouver, Canada (clay)
 Mexico0
 Canada2
 Mexico3

South America Zone

Quarterfinals
20–26 March
Semifinals
8–10 April
Final
21–23 April
 Argentina
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (clay)
bye
 Argentina2
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 Brazil3
 Brazil4
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 Venezuela0
 Brazil2
Santiago, Chile
 Chile3
 Chile4
Santiago, Chile
 Peru1
 Chile4
Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)
 Colombia1
 Ecuador1
 Colombia4

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

Chile vs. United States


Chile
0
Stade Français, Santiago, Chile[4]
21–24 July 1972

United States
5
1 2 3 4 5
1 Chile
United States
Jaime Pinto Bravo
Stan Smith
1
6
5
7
2
6
     
2 Chile
United States
Patricio Cornejo
Harold Solomon
7
9
6
4
1
6
6
3
2
6
 
3 Chile
United States
Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol
Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen
2
6
4
6
6
4
6
3
3
6
 
4 Chile
United States
Jaime Pinto Bravo
Harold Solomon
1
6
1
6
2
6
     
5 Chile
United States
Patricio Cornejo
Stan Smith
4
6
6
1
7
9
1
6
   

Eastern Zone

Further information: 1972 Davis Cup Eastern Zone

Zone A

Quarterfinals
24–26 March
Semifinals
8–16 April
Final
28–30 April
 Australia
Seoul, South Korea
bye
 Australia5
 South Korea0
 South Koreaw/o
Tokyo, Japan
 Philippines
 Australia4
Saigon, South Vietnam
 Japan1
 South Vietnam5
Saigon, South Vietnam
 Chinese Taipei0
 South Vietnam2
Hong Kong
 Japan3
 Hong Kong0
 Japan5

Zone B

Semifinals
1–3 April
Final
28–30 April
Lucknow, India
 India5
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 Ceylon0
 India5
 Malaysia0
 Malaysiaw/o
 Pakistan

Eastern Inter-Zonal Final

India vs. Australia


India
0
Bangalore, India[5]
16–18 May 1972

Australia
5
1 2 3 4 5
1 India
Australia
Vijay Amritraj
Mal Anderson
4
6
4
6
2
6
     
2 India
Australia
Jaidip Mukerjea
Geoff Masters
3
6
3
6
6
3
6
1
3
6
 
3 India
Australia
Premjit Lall / Jaidip Mukerjea
Colin Dibley / Geoff Masters
2
6
4
6
6
3
3
6
   
4 India
Australia
Anand Amritraj
Ross Case
1
6
6
8
5
7
     
5 India
Australia
Vijay Amritraj
Colin Dibley
5
7
6
4
3
6
2
6
   

Europe Zone

Further information: 1972 Davis Cup Europe Zone

Zone A

Preliminary Round
21–23 April
Tel Aviv, Israel (hard)
 Israel1
 Iran4
First Round
1–13 May
Quarterfinals
18–22 May
Semifinals
9–18 June
Final
21–23 July
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
 Romania5
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
  Switzerland0
 Romania5
Tehran, Iran
 Iran0
 Iran4
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
 Egypt1
 Romania4
Reggio Calabria, Italy (clay)
 Italy1
 Italy5
San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy (clay)
 Austria0
 Italy4
Scheveningen, Netherlands (clay)
 Netherlands1
 Netherlands5
Tbilisi, Soviet Union
 Norway0
 Romania3
Helsinki, Finland (clay)
 Soviet Union2
 Finland2
Copenhagen, Denmark (clay)
 Denmark3
 Denmark0
Warsaw, Poland
 Poland5
 Poland3
Warsaw, Poland
 Yugoslavia1
 Poland0
Beirut, Lebanon (clay)
 Soviet Union4
 Lebanon0
Casablanca, Morocco
 Morocco5
 Morocco0
Tbilisi, Soviet Union
 Soviet Union5
 Soviet Union3
 Hungary2

Zone A Final

Soviet Union vs. Romania


Soviet Union
2
Tbilisi, Soviet Union[6]
21–23 July 1972

Romania
3
1 2 3 4 5
1 Soviet Union
Romania
Alex Metreveli
Ilie Năstase
4
6
0
6
4
6
     
2 Soviet Union
Romania
Teimuraz Kakulia
Ion Țiriac
6
4
7
5
6
1
     
3 Soviet Union
Romania
Sergei Likhachev / Alex Metreveli
Ilie Năstase / Ion Țiriac
2
6
4
6
3
6
     
4 Soviet Union
Romania
Alex Metreveli
Ion Țiriac
2
6
6
4
1
6
6
4
6
3
 
5 Soviet Union
Romania
Teimuraz Kakulia
Ilie Năstase
2
6
2
6
3
6
     

Zone B

First Round
28 April–7 May
Quarterfinals
19–22 May
Semifinals
14–18 June
Final
21–24 July
Brussels, Belgium (clay)
 Czechoslovakia3
Prague, Czechoslovakia (clay)
 Belgium2
 Czechoslovakia3
Båstad, Sweden (clay)
 Sweden1
 Sweden4
Düsseldorf, West Germany (clay)
 New Zealand1
 Czechoslovakia3
Athens, Greece
 West Germany2
 Greece0
West Berlin
 West Germany5
 West Germany5
Cork, Ireland
 Ireland0
 Ireland5
Barcelona, Spain (clay)
 Turkey0
 Czechoslovakia2
Paris, France (clay)
 Spain3
 France4
Paris, France (clay)
 Great Britain1
 France2
Sofia, Bulgaria
 Spain3
 Bulgaria0
Avilés, Spain
 Spain5
 Spain5
Monte Carlo, Monaco
 Monaco0
 Monaco3
Monte Carlo, Monaco (clay)
 Luxembourg2
 Monaco3
 Portugal2
 Portugalw/o
 South Africa

Zone B Final

Spain vs. Czechoslovakia


Spain
3
Barcelona, Spain[7]
21–24 July 1972
Clay

Czechoslovakia
2
1 2 3 4 5
1 Spain
Czechoslovakia
Juan Gisbert
Jan Kodeš
8
6
6
4
5
7
0
6
6
4
 
2 Spain
Czechoslovakia
Manuel Orantes
František Pála
5
7
4
6
6
0
7
5
4
6
 
3 Spain
Czechoslovakia
Juan Gisbert / Manuel Orantes
Jan Kodeš / Jan Kukal
10
12
6
2
7
5
6
4
   
4 Spain
Czechoslovakia
Juan Gisbert
František Pála
6
3
6
3
4
6
6
0
   
5 Spain
Czechoslovakia
Antonio Muñoz
Jiří Hřebec
4
6
0
6
3
6
     

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw

Semifinals
4–7 August
Final
13–15 October
Barcelona, Spain (clay)
EUR-B Spain2
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
AME United States3
AME United States3
Bucharest, Romania (clay)
EUR-A Romania2
EAS Australia1
EUR-A Romania4

Semifinals

Spain vs. United States


Spain
2
Real Club de Tenis, Barcelona, Spain[8]
4–7 August 1972
Clay

United States
3
1 2 3 4 5
1 Spain
United States
Andrés Gimeno
Stan Smith
6
8
7
5
6
3
6
4
   
2 Spain
United States
Juan Gisbert
Harold Solomon
7
9
5
7
6
0
6
1
4
6
 
3 Spain
United States
Andrés Gimeno / Juan Gisbert
Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen
3
6
6
0
2
6
3
6
   
4 Spain
United States
Andrés Gimeno
Harold Solomon
6
3
6
1
2
6
6
2
   
5 Spain
United States
Juan Gisbert
Stan Smith
9
11
8
10
4
6
     

Romania vs. Australia


Romania
4
Bucharest, Romania[9]
4–7 August 1972
Clay

Australia
1
1 2 3 4 5
1 Romania
Australia
Ion Țiriac
Mal Anderson
6
2
6
2
6
8
4
6
4
6
 
2 Romania
Australia
Ilie Năstase
Colin Dibley
6
3
6
0
6
2
     
3 Romania
Australia
Ilie Năstase / Ion Țiriac
Mal Anderson / Colin Dibley
6
2
6
2
6
2
     
4 Romania
Australia
Ion Țiriac
Colin Dibley
6
3
3
6
11
13
6
3
6
0
 
5 Romania
Australia
Ilie Năstase
Mal Anderson
6
2
6
2
4
6
6
3
   

Final

Romania vs. United States


Romania
2
Club Sportiv Progresul, Bucharest, Romania[3]
13–15 October 1972
Clay

United States
3
1 2 3 4 5
1 Romania
United States
Ilie Năstase
Stan Smith
9
11
2
6
3
6
     
2 Romania
United States
Ion Țiriac
Tom Gorman
4
6
2
6
6
4
6
3
6
2
 
3 Romania
United States
Ilie Năstase / Ion Țiriac
Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen
2
6
0
6
3
6
     
4 Romania
United States
Ion Țiriac
Stan Smith
6
4
2
6
4
6
6
2
0
6
 
5 Romania
United States
Ilie Năstase
Tom Gorman
6
1
6
2
5
7
10
8
   

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 "Romania v United States". daviscup.com.
  4. ^ "Chile v United States". daviscup.com.
  5. ^ "India v Australia". daviscup.com.
  6. ^ "Soviet Union v Romania". daviscup.com.
  7. ^ "Spain v Czechoslovakia". daviscup.com.
  8. ^ "Spain v United States". daviscup.com.
  9. ^ "Romania v Australia". daviscup.com.