The 1956 Davis Cup was the 45th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 24 teams entered the Europe Zone, 5 teams entered the America Zone, and 3 teams entered the Eastern Zone.

1956 Davis Cup
Details
Duration22 March – 28 December 1956
Edition45th
Teams33
Champion
Winning Nation Australia
1955
1957

The United States defeated Mexico in the America Zone final, India defeated Japan in the Eastern Zone final, and Italy defeated Sweden in the Europe Zone final. In the Inter-Zonal Zone, the United States defeated Italy in the semifinal, and then defeated India in the final. In the Challenge Round the United States were defeated by defending champions Australia. The final was played at Memorial Drive in Adelaide, Australia on 26–28 December.[1][2][3]

America Zone edit

Draw edit

Quarterfinals
2–4 May
Semifinals
6–29 July
Final
3–5 August
  United States
Victoria, Canada (grass)
bye
  United States4
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (clay)
  Canada1
  Canada5
Rye, NY, United States (grass)
  Caribbean/West Indies0
  United States4
  Mexico1
bye
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
  Mexico
  Mexico4
  Brazil1
bye
  Brazil

Final edit

United States vs. Mexico

 
United States
4
Westchester Country Club, Rye, NY, United States[4]
3–5 August 1956
Grass
 
Mexico
1
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Vic Seixas
Mario Llamas
6
4
6
2
6
4
     
2  
 
Ham Richardson
Francisco Contreras
6
3
6
4
6
4
     
3  
 
Sam Giammalva / Barry MacKay
Francisco Contreras / Mario Llamas
13
11
4
6
6
1
6
8
3
6
 
4  
 
Ham Richardson
Mario Llamas
6
3
6
3
6
1
     
5  
 
Sam Giammalva
Esteban Reyes Jr.
6
4
6
1
6
3
     

Eastern Zone edit

Draw edit

Semifinals
22–24 March
Final
18–20 May
  Japan
Tokyo, Japan
bye
  Japan2
Colombo, Ceylon (clay)
  India3
  Ceylon0
  India5

Final edit

Japan vs. India

 
Japan
2
Tokyo, Japan[5]
18–20 May 1956
 
India
3
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Atsushi Miyagi
Ramanathan Krishnan
3
6
0
6
3
6
     
2  
 
Kosei Kamo
Naresh Kumar
6
2
4
6
2
6
6
4
6
0
 
3  
 
Kosei Kamo / Atsushi Miyagi
Ramanathan Krishnan / Naresh Kumar
4
6
3
6
1
6
     
4  
 
Atsushi Miyagi
Naresh Kumar
6
4
6
1
6
1
     
5  
 
Kosei Kamo
Ramanathan Krishnan
8
6
3
6
4
6
5
7
   

Europe Zone edit

Draw edit

First Round
27 April–1 May
Second Round
10–15 May
Quarterfinals
31 May-4 June
Semifinals
15–17 July
Final
20–22 July
  ItalyWarsaw, Poland
bye  Italy5
  Poland3  Poland0Bologna, Italy (clay)
  Austria2  Italy4
  DenmarkPrague, Czechoslovakia (clay)  Denmark1
bye  Denmark4
  Czechoslovakia5  Czechoslovakia1Paris, France (clay)
  Pakistan0  Italy3
  FranceLausanne, Switzerland  France2
bye  France5
  Luxembourg2   Switzerland0Duisburg, West Germany (clay)
   Switzerland3  France4
  West GermanyDublin, Ireland  West Germany1
bye  West Germany4
  Ireland4  Ireland1Båstad, Sweden (clay)
  Finland1  Italy5
  Turkey0Scheveningen, Netherlands (clay)  Sweden0
  Netherlands5  Netherlands0
bye  Chile5Bristol, England (grass)
  Chile  Chile2
  Yugoslavia4Belgrade, Yugoslavia (clay)  Great Britain3
  Egypt1  Yugoslavia0
bye  Great Britain5Solna, Sweden (clay)
  Great Britain  Great Britain1
  Monaco2Barcelona, Spain (clay)  Sweden4
  Spain3  Spain1
bye  Belgium4Brussels, Belgium (clay)
  Belgium  Belgium1
  Norway4Oslo, Norway (clay)  Sweden4
  Israel1  Norway0
bye  Sweden5
  Sweden

Final edit

Sweden vs. Italy

 
Sweden
0
Båstad Tennis Stadium, Båstad, Sweden[6]
20–22 July 1956
Clay
 
Italy
5
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Sven Davidson
Nicola Pietrangeli
4
6
6
3
1
6
4
6
   
2  
 
Ulf Schmidt
Giuseppe Merlo
7
5
2
6
5
7
1
6
   
3  
 
Sven Davidson / Torsten Johansson
Nicola Pietrangeli / Orlando Sirola
4
6
7
5
2
6
3
6
   
4  
 
Torsten Johansson
Orlando Sirola
4
6
6
1
2
6
1
6
   
5  
 
Ulf Schmidt
Nicola Pietrangeli
5
7
3
6
6
1
3
6
   

Inter-Zonal Zone edit

Draw edit

Semifinals
29 September–1 October
Final
14–16 December
EAS  India
Perth, Australia (grass)
bye
EAS  India1
Forest Hills, NY, United States (grass)
AME  United States4
EUR  Italy1
AME  United States4

Semifinals edit

United States vs. Italy

 
United States
4
West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, NY, United States[7]
29 September–1 October 1956
Grass
 
Italy
1
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Ham Richardson
Nicola Pietrangeli
6
3
6
2
6
3
     
2  
 
Vic Seixas
Orlando Sirola
6
3
11
9
6
4
     
3  
 
Ham Richardson / Vic Seixas
Nicola Pietrangeli / Orlando Sirola
1
6
6
3
6
4
6
2
   
4  
 
Michael Green
Nicola Pietrangeli
6
3
4
6
3
6
4
6
   
5  
 
Sam Giammalva
Orlando Sirola
12
10
6
3
6
2
     

United States vs. India

 
United States
4
Royal King's Park, Perth, Australia[8]
14–16 December 1956
Grass
 
India
1
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Herbie Flam
Ramanathan Krishnan
7
5
4
6
10
8
2
6
6
4
 
2  
 
Vic Seixas
Naresh Kumar
6
4
6
1
6
2
     
3  
 
Sam Giammalva / Vic Seixas
Ramanathan Krishnan / Naresh Kumar
6
2
3
6
6
4
6
4
   
4  
 
Michael Green
Ramanathan Krishnan
5
7
4
6
4
6
     
5  
 
Sam Giammalva
Naresh Kumar
6
3
6
4
6
2
     

Challenge Round edit

Australia vs. United States

 
Australia
5
Memorial Drive, Adelaide, Australia[3]
26–28 December 1956
Grass
 
United States
0
1 2 3 4 5
1  
 
Lew Hoad
Herbie Flam
6
2
6
3
6
3
     
2  
 
Ken Rosewall
Vic Seixas
6
1
6
4
4
6
6
1
   
3  
 
Lew Hoad / Ken Rosewall
Sam Giammalva / Vic Seixas
1
6
6
1
7
5
6
4
   
4  
 
Ken Rosewall
Sam Giammalva
4
6
6
1
8
6
7
5
   
5  
 
Lew Hoad
Vic Seixas
6
2
7
5
6
3
     

References edit

  1. ^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  2. ^ Max Robertson (1974). The Encyclopedia of Tennis. London: Allen & Unwin. p. 384. ISBN 0047960426.
  3. ^ a b "Australia v United States". daviscup.com.
  4. ^ "United States v Mexico". daviscup.com.
  5. ^ "Japan v India". daviscup.com.
  6. ^ "Sweden v Italy". daviscup.com.
  7. ^ "United States v Italy". daviscup.com.
  8. ^ "United States v India". daviscup.com.

External links edit