1976 Davis Cup

1976 Davis Cup
Details
Duration	22 August 1975 – 19 December 1976
Edition	65th
Teams	53
Champion
Winning nation	Italy
	← 1975 1977 →

The 1976 Davis Cup was the 65th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 58 teams would enter the competition, 32 in the Europe Zone, 14 in the Americas Zone, and 12 in the Eastern Zone. This year's tournament saw all teams in the Americas Zone competing in one single bracket, with the previous North & Central America and South America sub-zones, and subsequently the Americas Inter-Zonal final, being eliminated. This brought the Americas Zone in line with the outline of the other zones, with the previous year's Americas sub-zone champions progressing to the new Americas main draw semifinals.

Chile defeated South Africa in the Americas Zone final, Australia defeated New Zealand in the Eastern Zone final, and the Soviet Union and Italy were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Hungary and Great Britain, respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, Italy defeated Australia in their semifinal; the second semifinal was scratched and Chile advanced to the Final as the Soviet Union refused to travel to Chile due to their opposition to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.^[1] In the final, held in the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, on 17–19 December, Italy defeated Chile to win their first title and become the seventh nation to win the Davis Cup.^[2]^[3]

Americas Zone

Preliminary rounds


First Round		Qualifying Round



United States
		Tucson, AZ, United States (hard)
bye
		United States	5

		Venezuela	0
Venezuela

bye

Mexico City, Mexico (clay)

Mexico	5
		Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
Caribbean/West Indies	0
		Mexico	3
Montreal, Canada (indoor carpet)
		Canada	2
Canada	5

Colombia	0



Brazil	w/o
		Brasilia, Brazil (clay)
Bolivia
		Brazil	5
Lima, Peru
		Peru	0
Peru	3

Uruguay	2



bye
		Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)
Ecuador
		Ecuador	0

		Argentina	5
bye

Argentina

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
19–28 December 1975

Semifinals
5–7 March

Final
26–28 April

South Africa

bye

South Africa

w/o

Mexico City, Mexico (clay)

Mexico

United States

2

Santiago, Chile

Mexico

3

South Africa

2

Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)

Chile

3

Brazil

0

Santiago, Chile (clay)

Argentina

5

Argentina

2

Chile

3

bye

Chile

Final

Chile vs. South Africa

Chile
3

Santiago, Chile^[4]
26–28 April 1976

South Africa
2

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Patricio Cornejo Bernard Mitton	4 6	6 3	5 7	5 7
2	Jaime Fillol Raymond Moore	7 5	8 6	6 3
3	Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol Byron Bertram / Frew McMillan	6 3	10 8	2 6	4 6	3 6
4	Patricio Cornejo Raymond Moore	5 7	6 2	10 8	7 5
5	Jaime Fillol Bernard Mitton	7 5	6 3	4 6	6 2

Eastern Zone

Preliminary rounds


First Round		Qualifying Round



Indonesia
		Jakarta, Indonesia
bye
		Indonesia	3

		South Korea	2
South Korea

bye



Sri Lanka
		Colombo, Sri Lanka (clay)
bye
		Sri Lanka	0
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
		Pakistan	4
Malaysia	0

Pakistan	5

Amritsar, India

India	5
		Tokyo, Japan
Thailand	0
		India	3

		Japan	2
bye

Japan



bye
		Taipei, Taiwan (hard)
Philippines
		Philippines	4

		Chinese Taipei	0
bye

Chinese Taipei

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
28 November–21 December 1975

Semifinals
9–18 January

Final
27 February–1 March

Australia

Hobart, Australia (grass)

bye

Australia

5

Karachi, Pakistan

Indonesia

0

Indonesia

4

Brisbane, Australia (grass)

Pakistan

1

Australia

3

Manila, Philippines

New Zealand

1

India

4

Auckland, New Zealand (grass)

Philippines

0

India

2

New Zealand

3

bye

New Zealand

Final

Australia vs. New Zealand

Australia
3

Milton Courts, Brisbane, Australia^[5]
27 February–1 March 1976
Grass

New Zealand
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Ross Case Brian Fairlie	6 3	8 10	1 6	6 2	4 6
2	John Newcombe Onny Parun	8 6	6 3	7 5
3	John Newcombe / Tony Roche Brian Fairlie / Onny Parun	6 1	3 6	6 3	7 5
4	John Newcombe Brian Fairlie	8 6	5 7	11 9	6 3
5	Ross Case Onny Parun						not played

Europe Zone

Zone A

Pre-qualifying round


	Pre-qualifying round



	Turkey

	Israel		w/o

Preliminary rounds


First Round		Qualifying Round

Copenhagen, Denmark (indoor carpet)

Finland	1
		Freiburg, West Germany (clay)
Denmark	4
		Denmark	0

		West Germany	5
bye

West Germany

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monaco	4
		Tbilisi, Soviet Union
Israel	1
		Monaco	0

		Soviet Union	5
bye

Soviet Union

Brussels, Belgium

Belgium	4
		Brussels, Belgium
Netherlands	1
		Belgium	0

		Hungary	5
bye

Hungary



Ireland	w/o
		Cairo, Egypt
Rhodesia
		Ireland	1

		Egypt	4
bye

Egypt

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
14–16 May

Semifinals
23–25 July

Final
13–15 August

Spain

Donetsk, Soviet Union

bye

Spain

1

Bad Homburg, West Germany

Soviet Union

4

West Germany

1

Tbilisi, Soviet Union

Soviet Union

4

Soviet Union

4

Budapest, Hungary

Hungary

1

Hungary

5

Budapest, Hungary (clay)

Egypt

0

Hungary

3

Czechoslovakia

1

bye

Czechoslovakia

Final

Soviet Union vs. Hungary

Soviet Union
4

Tbilisi, Soviet Union^[6]
13–15 August 1976

Hungary
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Alex Metreveli János Benyik	6 3	7 5	6 3
2	Teimuraz Kakulia Balázs Taróczy	3 6	3 6	4 6
3	Teimuraz Kakulia / Alex Metreveli Péter Szőke / Balázs Taróczy	12 10	6 0	6 4
4	Alex Metreveli Balázs Taróczy	7 5	6 1	9 7
5	Teimuraz Kakulia János Benyik	6 4	6 8	3 6	6 3	6 1

Zone B

Pre-qualifying rounds


First Round		Qualifying Round



Iran

bye
		Iran	w/o

		Nigeria
Nigeria	w/o

Algeria



bye
		Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg (clay)
Luxembourg
		Luxembourg	0

		Portugal	5
bye

Portugal

Preliminary rounds


First Round		Qualifying Round

Tehran, Iran

Iran	2
		Zürich, Switzerland (clay)
Switzerland	3
		Switzerland	1

		Great Britain	4
bye

Great Britain

Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria	1
		Vienna, Austria
Austria	4
		Austria	1

		Romania	4
bye

Romania



Italy
		Florence, Italy (clay)
bye
		Italy	5
Warsaw, Poland (clay)
		Poland	0
Poland	5

Norway	0



bye
		Zagreb, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
		Yugoslavia	5
Athens, Greece (clay)
		Greece	0
Greece	4

Portugal	1

Main Draw

Quarterfinals
20–23 May

Semifinals
8–18 July

Final
5–7 August

France

Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)

bye

France

1

Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)

Great Britain

4

Great Britain

5

Wimbledon, United Kingdom (grass)

Romania

0

Great Britain

1

Bologna, Italy (clay)

Italy

4

Italy

5

Rome, Italy (clay)

Yugoslavia

0

Italy

4

Sweden

0

bye

Sweden

Final

Great Britain vs. Italy

Great Britain
1

No. 1 Court, All England Club, Wimbledon, United Kingdom^[7]
5–7 August 1976
Grass

Italy
4

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Roger Taylor Tonino Zugarelli	1 6	5 7	6 3	1 6
2	John Lloyd Adriano Panatta	7 5	3 6	3 6	6 2	4 6
3	David Lloyd / John Lloyd Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta	6 8	3 6	6 3	18 16	6 2
4	Roger Taylor Adriano Panatta	6 3	2 6	4 6	4 6
5	John Lloyd Tonino Zugarelli	6 4	8 6	1 6	1 6	1 6

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw


Semifinals 24–27 September			Final 17–19 December

Rome, Italy (clay)

EUR-B	Italy	3
			Santiago, Chile (clay)
EAS	Australia	2
			EUR-B	Italy	4

			AME	Chile	1
AME	Chile	w/o

EUR-A	Soviet Union

Semifinals

Italy vs. Australia

Italy
3

Foro Italico, Rome, Italy^[8]
24–27 September 1976
Clay

Australia
2

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Corrado Barazzutti John Newcombe	7 5	6 1	6 4
2	Adriano Panatta John Alexander	5 7	3 6	4 6
3	Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta John Newcombe / Tony Roche	6 3	6 4	6 3
4	Corrado Barazzutti John Alexander	2 6	2 6	7 5	6 4	2 6
5	Adriano Panatta John Newcombe	5 7	8 6	6 4	6 2

Chile vs. Soviet Union

The tie was scheduled to be completed by September 27, but the Soviet Union refused to travel to Chile due to their opposition to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet: therefore, the tie was scratched and Chile advanced to the Final.^[1]^[9] The Soviet team were subsequently banned from entering the Davis Cup for two years.

Final

Chile vs. Italy

Chile
1

Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile^[3]
17–19 December 1976
Clay

Italy
4

		1	2	3	4
1	Jaime Fillol Corrado Barazzutti	5 7	6 4	5 7	1 6
2	Patricio Cornejo Adriano Panatta	3 6	1 6	3 6
3	Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta	6 3	2 6	7 9	3 6
4	Jaime Fillol Adriano Panatta	6 8	4 6	6 3	8 10
5	Belus Prajoux Tonino Zugarelli	6 4	6 3	6 2

References

^ ^a ^b "Soviets barred from Davis Cup". The Daily Sentinel. United Press International. 8 November 1976. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.
^ ^a ^b "Chile v Italy". daviscup.com.
^ "Chile v South Africa". daviscup.com.
^ "Australia v New Zealand". daviscup.com.
^ "Soviet Union v Hungary". daviscup.com.
^ "Great Britain v Italy". daviscup.com.
^ "Italy v Australia". daviscup.com.
^ "Chile v Soviet Union". daviscup.com.

External links

Davis Cup Official Website

[Soviet-1] "Soviets barred from Davis Cup". The Daily Sentinel. United Press International. 8 November 1976. Retrieved 20 October 2019.

[Collins-2] Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.

[Final-3] "Chile v Italy". daviscup.com.

[4] "Chile v South Africa". daviscup.com.

[5] "Australia v New Zealand". daviscup.com.

[6] "Soviet Union v Hungary". daviscup.com.

[7] "Great Britain v Italy". daviscup.com.

[8] "Italy v Australia". daviscup.com.

[9] "Chile v Soviet Union". daviscup.com.

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