1923 International Lawn Tennis Challenge

The 1923 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 18th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. For the first time, the competition would be split into two zones: the America Zone and the Europe Zone. This change was necessitated by having more than 16 teams compete for the cup (thus not fitting into one easily workable draw). The past several years had also seen a rise in the number of defaults, as teams from around the globe tried to work out the logistics of playing such an international tournament. Regional zones would help alleviate these problems.

The Europe Zone consisted of 13 teams (although Romania would default their first-round tie). The America Zone was made up of 4 teams, with only one of these teams, Canada, actually located in the Americas. (The United States, as defending champions, were automatically qualified for the final, Challenge Round). Oddly, Argentina would compete in the Europe Zone. The winners of the Zones met in an Inter-Zonal playoff, with the winner challenging the United States for the championship.

Australia would defeat France in the Inter-Zonal play-off, but would once again fall to the United States in the challenge round. The final was played at the West Side Tennis Club in New York City, United States on 31 August – 3 September.^[1][2]

America Zone

Draw

	1st round 26–28 July					Final 9–12 August
	Orange, NJ, United States (grass)
		Australia	4
		Hawaii	1			Chicago, IL, United States (grass)
							Australia	4
Montreal, Canada (grass)						Japan	1
		Canada	0
		Japan	5

Semifinals

Australia 4	Orange Tennis Club, Orange, New Jersey, United States 26–28 July 1923 grass		Hawaii 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 James Anderson Bowie Detrick 6 1 6 3 6 3       2 John Hawkes William Eklund 6 2 6 1 6 4       3 James Anderson / John Hawkes Bowie Detrick / William Eklund 6 0 8 6 7 5       4 John Hawkes Bowie Detrick 6 3 6 1 6 1       5 Richard Schlesinger William Eklund 4 6 6 4 1 6 4 6

Canada 0	Mount Royal Tennis Club, Montreal, Canada 26–28 July 1923 grass		Japan 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 Willard Crocker Zenzo Shimizu 6 3 7 9 1 6 6 8     2 Leroy Rennie Masanosuke Fukuda 2 6 0 6 0 6       3 Willard Crocker / Jack Wright Seiichiro Kashio / Zenzo Shimizu 1 6 2 6 2 6       4 Leroy Rennie Zenzo Shimizu 2 6 3 6 0 6       5 Willard Crocker Masanosuke Fukuda 2 6 3 6 2 6

Final

Japan 1	South Side Tennis Club, Chicago, Illinois, United States 9–12 August 1923 grass		Australia 4
1 2 3 4 5 1 Zenzo Shimizu James Anderson 0 6 3 6 3 6       2 Masanosuke Fukuda John Hawkes 3 6 4 6 3 6       3 Seiichiro Kashio / Zenzo Shimizu James Anderson / John Hawkes 1 6 2 6 2 6       4 Zenzo Shimizu John Hawkes 6 4 3 6 2 6 6 1 6 4   5 Masanosuke Fukuda James Anderson 1 6 6 3 2 6 1 6

Europe Zone

Draw

First round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final

Netherlands

Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay)

bye

Netherlands

5

Italy

0

Italy

Eastbourne, England (grass)

bye

Netherlands

0

Brussels, Belgium (clay)

Spain

5

Great Britain

3

Manchester, England (grass)

Belgium

2

Great Britain

2

Spain

3

Spain

w/o

Deauville, France (clay)

Romania

Spain

2

Bordeaux, France (clay)

France

3

France

4

Dublin, Ireland (grass)

Denmark

1

France

4

Dublin, Ireland (grass)

Ireland

1

Ireland

3

Lyon, France (clay)

India

2

France

3

Territet, Switzerland

Switzerland

2

Switzerland

3

Geneva, Switzerland

Czechoslovakia

2

Switzerland

4

Argentina

1

bye

Argentina

First round

Great Britain 3	Brussels, Belgium 30 May–1 June 1923 clay		Belgium 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Randolph Lycett Georges Watson 6 2 8 6 6 2       2 Brian Gilbert Jean Washer 2 6 6 4 2 6 3 6     3 Leslie Godfree / Randolph Lycett Jean Washer / Georges Watson 6 1 6 4 6 1       4 Randolph Lycett Jean Washer 1 6 3 6 4 6       5 Brian Gilbert Georges Watson 6 1 6 4 6 1

France 4	Villa Primrose Athletic Society, Bordeaux, France 15–17 May 1923 clay		Denmark 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 Henri Cochet Erik Tegner 6 1 6 4 1 6 5 7 6 4   2 René Lacoste Henning Larsen 4 6 4 6 6 2 8 6 6 8   3 Henri Cochet / Jean-Pierre Samazeuilh Erik Tegner / Erik Worm 6 1 7 5 6 3       4 Henri Cochet Erik Worm 6 3 8 6 6 1       5 Jean-Pierre Samazeuilh Erik Tegner 5 7 6 1 1 6 8 6 6 4

Ireland 3	Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin, Ireland 1–4 June 1923 grass		India 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Cecil Campbell Sydney Jacob 2 6 2 6 3 6       2 D'Arcy McCrea Hassan-Ali Fyzee 7 5 9 7 2 6 6 3     3 Louis Meldon / Simon Scroope Lewis Deane / Hassan-Ali Fyzee 6 0 3 6 6 8 6 4 6 8   4 Cecil Campbell Hassan-Ali Fyzee 6 4 7 5 6 2       5 D'Arcy McCrea Sydney Jacob 6 4 6 2 6 4

Switzerland 3	Montreux Lawn Tennis Club, Territet, Switzerland 31 May–2 June 1923		Czechoslovakia 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Charles Aeschlimann Ladislav Zemla 7 5 6 2 8 10 6 3     2 Charles Martin Friedrich Rohrer 2 6 6 3 6 3 6 8 6 2   3 Maurice Ferrier / Guy Sautter Friedrich Rohrer / Ladislav Zemla 6 4 4 6 5 7 6 8     4 Charles Aeschlimann Friedrich Rohrer 4 6 7 5 13 11 3 6 6 0   5 Charles Martin Ladislav Zemla 4 6 6 3 3 6 4 6

Quarterfinals

Netherlands 5	Noordwijk, Netherlands 1–3 June 1923 clay		Italy 0
1 2 3 4 5 1 Christiaan van Lennep Umberto De Morpurgo 6 1 0 6 6 3 6 2     2 Arthur Diemer-Kool Cesare Colombo 6 2 6 1 5 7 6 4     3 Arthur Diemer-Kool / Christiaan van Lennep Mimo Balbi di Robecco / Umberto De Morpurgo 6 4 6 4 6 3       4 Christiaan van Lennep Cesare Colombo 6 2 3 6 6 2 6 3     5 Arthur Diemer-Kool Umberto De Morpurgo 7 5 5 7 3 6 6 4 6 4

Great Britain 2	Northern Lawn Tennis Club, Manchester, England 16–19 June 1923 grass		Spain 3
1 2 3 4 5 1 Randolph Lycett Eduardo Flaquer 6 0 6 1 6 1       2 Patrick Wheatley Manuel de Gomar 6 4 8 10 1 6 2 6     3 Leslie Godfree / Randolph Lycett Manuel de Gomar / Eduardo Flaquer 2 6 3 6 6 4 3 6     4 Patrick Wheatley Eduardo Flaquer 0 6 4 6 6 3 6 1 11 9   5 Randolph Lycett Manuel de Gomar 4 6 1 6 5 7

France 4	Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin, Ireland 21–23 June 1923 grass		Ireland 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 Henri Cochet D'Arcy McCrea 6 1 6 3 13 11       2 Jean Borotra Cecil Campbell 1 6 5 7 0 6       3 Jacques Brugnon / René Lacoste Cecil Campbell / Simon Scroope 6 2 6 3 14 12       4 Henri Cochet Cecil Campbell 0 6 7 5 4 6 10 8 8 6   5 Jean Borotra D'Arcy McCrea 7 5 1 6 5 7 6 0 6 2

Switzerland 4	Geneva, Switzerland 15–17 June 1923		Argentina 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 Charles Martin Carlos Caminos 8 6 6 4 6 3       2 Charles Aeschlimann Ronald Boyd 8 6 4 6 6 4 6 4     3 Charles Aeschlimann / Guy Sautter Guillermo Robson / Alfredo Villegas 4 6 6 3 9 7 6 3     4 Charles Martin Ronald Boyd 3 6 1 6 9 7 6 4 5 7   5 Charles Aeschlimann Carlos Caminos 6 3 7 5 6 3

Semifinals

Netherlands 0	Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, England 9–11 July 1923 grass		Spain 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 Christiaan van Lennep Manuel de Gomar 4 6 3 6 3 6       2 Marinus van der Feen Eduardo Flaquer 6 4 2 6 3 6 0 6     3 Cornelis Bryan / Hendrik Timmer Manuel de Gomar / Eduardo Flaquer 4 6 3 6 2 6       4 Marinus van der Feen Manuel de Gomar 3 6 0 6 5 7       5 Christiaan van Lennep Eduardo Flaquer 7 5 3 6 6 8 1 6

France 3	Lyon Tennis Club, Lyon, France 13–15 July 1923 clay		Switzerland 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Jean-François Blanchy Charles Aeschlimann 6 4 6 2 6 4       2 Henri Cochet Charles Martin 6 4 4 6 6 3 1 6 3 6   3 Jean-François Blanchy / Jean-Pierre Samazeuilh Charles Aeschlimann / Guy Sautter 10 8 6 3 2 6 4 6 4 6   4 Jean-François Blanchy Charles Martin 7 5 6 3 6 2       5 Henri Cochet Charles Aeschlimann 1 6 6 3 6 3 5 7 6 4

Final

France 3	Sporting Club, Deauville, France 28 July - 1 August 1923 clay		Spain 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 René Lacoste Manuel de Gomar 6 3 6 4 5 7 6 4     2 Jean-François Blanchy Eduardo Flaquer 6 1 6 2 3 6 6 1     3 Jacques Brugnon / René Lacoste Eduardo Flaquer / Manuel de Gomar 4 6 6 8 13 11 6 1 4 6   4 René Lacoste Eduardo Flaquer 6 1 6 3 6 2       5 Jean-François Blanchy Manuel de Gomar 3 6 6 2 2 6 2 6

Inter-Zonal Zone

France 1	Longwood Cricket Club, Boston, MA, United States 10–14 August 1923 grass		Australia 4
1 2 3 4 5 1 André Gobert Gerald Patterson 6 4 6 3 3 6 4 6 3 6   2 Henri Cochet Pat O'Hara-Wood 6 4 3 6 6 0 7 9 6 3   3 Henri Cochet / André Gobert Pat O'Hara-Wood / Gerald Patterson 0 6 8 6 6 4 3 6 8 10   4 Henri Cochet Gerald Patterson 2 6 6 2 4 6 2 6     5 André Gobert Pat O'Hara-Wood 6 2 2 6 1 6 4 6

Challenge Round

United States 4	West Side Tennis Club, New York, NY, United States 31 August - 3 September 1923 grass		Australia 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 Bill Tilden John Hawkes 6 4 6 2 6 1       2 Bill Johnston James Anderson 6 4 2 6 6 2 5 7 2 6   3 Bill Tilden / Norris Williams James Anderson / John Hawkes 17 15 11 13 2 6 6 3 6 2   4 Bill Tilden James Anderson 6 2 6 3 1 6 7 5     5 Bill Johnston John Hawkes 6 0 6 2 6 1

References

1. "Davis Cup – 1923 Results". ITF. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
2. Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–506. ISBN 978-0942257700.

External links

• Davis Cup Official Website