1978 Davis Cup Americas Zone

The Americas Zone was one of the three regional zones of the 1978 Davis Cup.

10 teams entered the Americas Zone in total, with 3 teams entering the North & Central America Zone and 8 teams entering the South America Zone. The winner of each sub-zone advanced to the Americas Inter-Zonal Final, with the winner going on to compete in the Inter-Zonal Zone against the winners of the Eastern Zone and Europe Zone.^[1]

The United States defeated South Africa in the North & Central America Zone final, and Chile defeated Argentina in the South America Zone final.^[2]^[3] In the Americas Inter-Zonal Final the United States defeated Chile and progressed to the Inter-Zonal Zone.^[4]

The North & Central America Zone was marked by a number of incidents related to the continued presence of South Africa team. Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Caribbean/West Indies teams all withdrew from the competition, and large scale protests accompanied the final between the United States and South Africa at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.^[5]^[6] In an effort to appease its critics, South Africa named Peter Lamb as one of the six members of its team, as its first-ever "coloured" player.^[7] However, Lamb did not play, and his inclusion in the squad was derided as tokenism. Crowds of up to 5000 turned out in protest.^[8]

North & Central America Zone

Draw


Semifinals 15–17 December 1977		Final 17–19 March



United States
		Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet)
bye
		United States	4
Johannesburg, South Africa
		South Africa	1
South Africa	4

Colombia	1

Semifinals

South Africa vs. Colombia

South Africa
4

Johannesburg, South Africa^[9]
15–17 December 1977

Colombia
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Byron Bertram Jairo Velasco	0 6	3 6	6 4	12 10	6 1
2	Ray Moore Iván Molina	5 7	2 6	6 4	2 6
3	Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan Álvaro Betancur / Iván Molina	6 0	8 6	6 2
4	Byron Bertram Iván Molina	3 6	6 3	6 4	6 4
5	Ray Moore Álvaro Betancur	6 3	6 3	6 2

Final

United States vs. South Africa

United States
4

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States^[2]
17–19 March 1978
Carpet (indoors)

South Africa
1

		1	2	3	4
1	Vitas Gerulaitis Bernard Mitton	2 6	6 2	6 1	7 5
2	Harold Solomon Byron Bertram	4 6	6 0	6 3	6 1
3	Fred McNair / Sherwood Stewart Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan	0 6	3 6	4 6
4	Harold Solomon Bernard Mitton	7 5	6 4	6 2
5	Vitas Gerulaitis Byron Bertram	6 3	6 3	6 0

South America Zone

Preliminary rounds

Draw


First Round 1–6 November 1977		Qualifying Round 9–11 December 1977



Chile
		Santiago, Chile
bye
		Chile	5
Lima, Peru
		Bolivia	0
Peru	0

Bolivia	5

Montevideo, Uruguay (clay)

Uruguay	3
		Montevideo, Uruguay
Ecuador	2
		Uruguay	4

		Brazil	1
bye

Brazil

First round

Peru vs. Bolivia

Peru
0

Lima, Peru^[10]
4–6 November 1977

Bolivia
5

		1	2	3	4	5
1	Fernando Maynetto Mario Martínez	3 6	3 6	6 4	5 7
2	Miguel Maurtúa Ramiro Benavides	2 6	4 6	6 4	5 7
3	Miguel Maurtúa / Fernando Maynetto Juan Carlos Alvarado / Ramiro Benavides	6 3	6 8	2 6	7 5	3 6
4	Miguel Maurtúa Mario Martínez	4 6	6 4	4 6	8 10
5	Luis Alberto Olmedo Juan Carlos Alvarado	0 6	1 6	3 6

Uruguay vs. Ecuador

Uruguay
3

Montevideo, Uruguay^[11]
November 1977
Clay

Ecuador
2

		1	2	3
1	Hugo Roverano Ricardo Pazmiño	6 2	6 2	6 1
2	José Luis Damiani Ricardo Ycaza	4 6	5 7	1 6
3	José Luis Damiani / Hugo Roverano Miguel Olvera / Ricardo Ycaza	6 3	6 2	6 2
4	José Luis Damiani Ricardo Pazmiño	6 1	6 0	6 2
5	Hugo Roverano Ricardo Ycaza	5 7	2 6	4 6

Qualifying round

Chile vs. Bolivia

Chile
5

Santiago, Chile^[12]
9–11 December 1977

Bolivia
0

		1	2	3	4
1	Belus Prajoux Mario Martínez	6 4	6 1	6 3
2	Hans Gildemeister Ramiro Benavides	6 2	6 2	6 1
3	Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol Juan Carlos Alvarado / Ramiro Benavides	3 6	6 2	6 0	8 6
4	Hans Gildemeister Mario Martínez	6 3	6 1	6 3
5	Belus Prajoux Ramiro Benavides	6 1	6 1	6 1

Uruguay vs. Brazil

Uruguay
4

Montevideo, Uruguay^[13]
9–11 December 1977

Brazil
1

		1	2	3	4	5
1	José Luis Damiani Thomaz Koch	7 5	6 4	6 0
2	Hugo Roverano Carlos Kirmayr	0 6	6 2	6 3	4 6	7 5
3	José Luis Damiani / Hugo Roverano Carlos Kirmayr / Thomaz Koch	9 7	6 3	6 2
4	José Luis Damiani Marcos Hocevar	6 3	6 4	6 4
5	Hugo Roverano Fernando Gentil	1 6	3 6	7 5	5 7

Main draw

Draw


Semifinals 18–20 December 1977		Final 17–19 March

Santiago, Chile

Chile	5
		Santiago, Chile (clay)
Uruguay	0
		Chile	3

		Argentina	2
bye

Argentina

Semifinals

Chile vs. Uruguay

Chile
5

Santiago, Chile^[14]
18–20 December 1977

Uruguay
0

		1	2	3
1	Jaime Fillol Hugo Roverano	9 7	6 3	6 0
2	Hans Gildemeister José Luis Damiani	6 2	6 2	6 2
3	Patricio Cornejo / Belus Prajoux José Luis Damiani / Hugo Roverano	6 4	6 4	6 2
4	Jaime Fillol José Luis Damiani	8 6	6 0	6 2
5	Hans Gildemeister Hugo Roverano	6 1	6 4	6 2

Final

Chile vs. Argentina

Chile
3

Santiago, Chile^[3]
17–19 March 1978
Clay

Argentina
2

		1	2	3	4
1	Hans Gildemeister Guillermo Vilas	9 7	6 3	3 6	6 4
2	Jaime Fillol Ricardo Cano	6 2	6 3	6 3
3	Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol José Luis Clerc / Guillermo Vilas	4 6	3 6	3 6
4	Hans Gildemeister Ricardo Cano	6 4	7 5	6 4
5	Jaime Fillol Guillermo Vilas	3 6	4 6	0 6

Americas Inter-Zonal Final

Chile vs. United States

Chile
2

Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile^[4]
15–17 September 1978
Clay^[15]

United States
3

		1	2	3	4
1	Jaime Fillol Brian Gottfried	4 6	5 7	2 6
2	Hans Gildemeister Harold Solomon	5 7	6 3	3 6	1 6
3	Jaime Fillol / Belus Prajoux Brian Gottfried / John McEnroe	6 3	3 6	6 8	3 6
4	Jaime Fillol Harold Solomon	6 3	6 2
5	Hans Gildemeister Brian Gottfried	4 6	7 5	12 10

References

^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–506. ISBN 978-0942257700.
^ ^a ^b "United States v South Africa". daviscup.com.
^ ^a ^b "Chile v Argentina". daviscup.com.
^ ^a ^b "Chile v United States". daviscup.com.
^ "Canada heads pullout from 1978 Davis Cup". Montreal Gazette. Reuters. 4 July 1977. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
^ "African Activist Archive". Africanactivist.msu.edu. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
^ Jerome, Jim. "Apartheid Critics Say He's Merely a Token, but Peter Lamb's Davis Cup Runneth Over". People.com. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
^ "African Activist Archive". Africanactivist.msu.edu. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
^ "South Africa v Colombia". daviscup.com.
^ "Peru v Bolivia". daviscup.com.
^ "Uruguay v Ecuador". daviscup.com.
^ "Chile v Bolivia". daviscup.com.
^ "Uruguay v Brazil". daviscup.com.
^ "Chile v Uruguay". daviscup.com.
^ "Jaime Fillol vs Brian Gottfried". atptour.com.

External links

Davis Cup official website

[Collins-1] Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–506. ISBN 978-0942257700.

[NA_Final-2] "United States v South Africa". daviscup.com.

[SA_Final-3] "Chile v Argentina". daviscup.com.

[Americas_Final-4] "Chile v United States". daviscup.com.

[5] "Canada heads pullout from 1978 Davis Cup". Montreal Gazette. Reuters. 4 July 1977. Retrieved 26 October 2019.

[6] "African Activist Archive". Africanactivist.msu.edu. Retrieved 26 October 2019.

[7] Jerome, Jim. "Apartheid Critics Say He's Merely a Token, but Peter Lamb's Davis Cup Runneth Over". People.com. Retrieved 29 September 2013.

[8] "African Activist Archive". Africanactivist.msu.edu. Retrieved 29 September 2013.

[9] "South Africa v Colombia". daviscup.com.

[10] "Peru v Bolivia". daviscup.com.

[11] "Uruguay v Ecuador". daviscup.com.

[12] "Chile v Bolivia". daviscup.com.

[13] "Uruguay v Brazil". daviscup.com.

[14] "Chile v Uruguay". daviscup.com.

[15] "Jaime Fillol vs Brian Gottfried". atptour.com.

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