Davis Cup

Davis Cup戴维斯杯网球赛　　

The Davis Cup is the international team event in men's tennis. The largest annual team competition in sport, the Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from the competing countries in a knock-out format. The women's equivalent of the Davis Cup is the Fed Cup (known as the Federation Cup before 1995). 　　

Each round consists of 5 matches (known as a rubber or a tie) between two countries. The first two matches are singles, the third is a doubles match, and in the last two matches (the reverse singles) the first contestants play again, but swap opponents from the earlier matches. There is no restriction on who may play the doubles match: the two singles players, two other players (usually doubles specialists) or a combination. If one team has already clinched the rubber, either team may change the players it uses in the reverse singles, with the only restrictions being that the players involved be on the original team roster and the matchups from the first singles matches cannot be repeated. 　　

All rubbers are normally best-of-5 sets. If a team has clinched the rubber before all 5 matches are played, any remaining reverse singles matches are shortened to best-of-3 sets. 　　

The tournament was conceived in 1899 by four members of the Harvard University tennis team who came up with the idea of challenging the British to a tennis showdown. Once the idea received the go ahead from the respective lawn tennis associations, one of the four Harvard players, Dwight Filley Davis, designed a tournament format and spent the money from his own pocket to purchase an appropriate sterling silver trophy. 　　

The first match, between the United States and Great Britain was held in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1900. The American team, of which Dwight Davis was a    　　

part, surprised the British by winning the first three matches. The following year the two countries did not compete but the US won the next match in 1902. By 1905 the tournament expanded to include Belgium, Austria, France, and Australasia, a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed together until 1924. 　　

These tournaments were only officially called the Davis Cup following the death of Dwight Davis in 1945. From 1950 to 1967, 　　Australia　　 dominated the competition, winning the Cup 15 times in 18 years. Since inception, the 　U.S.A.　 has won the event the most times (31), followed by 　Australia　 (23), 　France　 and 　Great Britain　 (9 each), 　Sweden　 (7), and 　Australasia　 (5). 　　

Davis Cup 戴维斯杯网球赛是每年一度的世界男子网球团体赛，也是世界网坛层次最高，影响最大的国际性团体赛，由国际网球联合会主办，是除奥林匹克网球比赛外历史最长的网球比赛。因系美国人戴维斯倡议举办，并捐赠银质奖杯授于冠军队，故名'戴维斯杯网球锦标赛'。第1届于1900年在美国波士顿举办，仅美国和英国参加，戴维斯本人是美国队的队长又兼运动员，并在当年的比赛中带领美国队以3：0战胜英国队捧走奖杯。由于参加国家的增多，1923年起分为美洲区和欧洲区，两个区先进行分区预赛，然后再决赛。1981年开始采取分为两级的升降级比赛的办法。1952年由于参赛队的增加，除原美洲区和欧洲区外，又增加了一个东方区，分3个区先进行预赛，然后产生次冠军队，再向上届冠军队挑战。1966年欧洲参赛队剧增，又从3个区分成4个区，即美洲区，东方区，欧洲A区，欧洲B区（非洲国家参加欧洲B区）。1970年成立了一个委员会研究讨论竞赛规则的改革，较多国家认为卫冕国家以逸待劳，迎战疲惫不堪的挑战队，未免太有失公允，所以自1971年通过了一项决议取消了'挑战赛'制度，从1972年起冠军队也毫无例外地必须从第一轮开始比赛，至于决赛地点的选择，由抽签决定。这想变革从此再也不会出现象美国和澳大利亚那样，年复一年的垄断这桂冠的局面。　　

随着比赛历史的增加，原有的制度不再适合新的形势，所以戴维斯杯比赛的规则也随之而改变。分别在1980年7月和1988年两次对规则做了比较大的修改，把原来的东方区改为亚太区，又分为亚太1组和亚太2组，水平高的在1组。1组、的上下半区各出线一个队。把原欧洲A区，欧洲B区，改为欧非区1组，其中仍分为A区和B区，每区的前两名出线参加世界组的资格赛。又增设了非洲区2组和欧洲区2组。所有区的2组水平都是该区较低的。这样，亚太区1组，美洲区1组和欧非区1组的A区和B区，各出线的2个队，共8个队，进入世界组的预选赛，同当年世界组16个队中第一轮被淘汰的8个队抽签对阵，捉对厮杀，胜者升到第二年世界组，成为16强争夺戴维斯杯，负者回到各区的1组，第2年在战。

　　戴维斯杯比赛采用4单1双，5场3胜制。 无论哪一级的团体赛，比赛时间都是三天。第一天两场单打，第二天一场双打，第三天又是两场单打。第一和第二天为5盘3胜制，第三天为3盘2胜制。获得戴维斯杯次数最多的国家有美国，澳大利亚，英国和法国等。