The top 5 Davis Cup finals in history
Brothers and doubles partners Andy and Jamie Murray playing Australia at the 2015 Davis Cup semisThe Davis Cup is one of the iconic tournaments in tennis history, with a rich past and tradition. Instituted as a contest between Great Britain and United States, it evolved into the world’s premier international men’s team event.In 2015, 125 nations participated in the tournament, the highest ever in the tournament’s history.In 1981, a tiered system of competition was created. Now, the top 16 teams compete in the World Group and all other nations compete in one of the four groups in three regional zones. In this year’s finale, Great Britain will play Belgium on indoor clay. Andy Murray has been the hero of their Davis Cup campaign this year. In the team’s semi-final clash againt Australia, he won all three of his matches to take them to the final.Andy Murray has already expressed his desire to win the Davis Cup title for his country and is even willing to leave the World Tour finals to prepare for the Davis Cup finals.“The O2 would obviously be a question mark for me if we were playing on the clay,” said Murray. “I would go and train and prepare on the clay to get ready for the final.”It shows the significance Davis Cup holds for top tennis players. As the tennis season for 2015 approaches its end, let us try to analyse and rank the best Davis Cup final encounters of all time.
#5 Great Britain vs France, 1933
Fred Perry was the last great British player before Andy Murray. Apart from his great results in the Grand Slams, he also played a crucial role in the British success in the Davis Cup in 1930s.
At that time, the famous French quartet of Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jacques Brugnon and Jean Borotra were the top dogs in tennis. Together, the four of them won 20 Grand Slam titles. They also made France almost unbeatable in the Davis Cup, leading the country to six consecutive titles from 1927 to 1932.
Fred Perry defeated Perry defeated Cochet 8-10, 6-4, 8-6, 3-6, 6-1 in the second match of the Final. After the first four matches, the score was tied at 2-2. In the deciding rubber, Perry beat Andre Merlin 4-6, 8-6, 6-2, 7-5 to win the title for his country.
What was even more commendable was that Britain defeated France on their own soil to win the title. The win broke French domination at the Davis Cup and started a golden chapter for Great Britain, who dominated the Davis Cup for the next few years. Perry also went on to win 8 Grand Slam titles, including three Wimbledon titles, before he turned pro. Murray will look upto this encounter to draw some inspiration for his chance at glory this November.