August 8
DAVIS CUP DAY
On this day in 1900, competition began for the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy at the Longwood Cricket Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Donating the trophy was America’s Dwight Davis. He had been the runner-up in the 1898 U.S. Championships. From then on, the event, the men’s international team championship, was called the Davis Cup.
This first event saw the U.S. team defeat Great Britain 3-0. Rain washed out two matches. A Davis Cup meeting between two countries is referred to as a tie. It is a three-day event consisting of two singles matches, one doubles match and then two more singles matches. The team with the greatest number of wins (30) is the United States. Australia follows with twenty wins.
There has been a Davis Cup match every year since 1900 except for 1901, 1910, and the war years of 1915-1918 and 1940-45. Dwight Davis played on the winning team in 1900 and 1902.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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