The continuing history of Philippine tennis
(Part Two of a Series)
The legacy of Dwight Davis to tennis
(Part One of a Series)

The Pambansang Suriang Pangkasaysayan, or National Historical Institute, attempts the following apocryphal in its trivia section:

"Do you know that the famous Davis Cup was actually named after one of the Governor-Generals of the Philippines? The prestigious Davis Cup, which is awarded in tennis, was named after Dwight Davis, American Governor-General of the Philippines from 1929 to 1932. Davis, an avid tennis player, played tennis with other Americans in the Philippines. Somebody thought of having a trophy, which was actually a silver fruit holder, with the Governor's name engraved on its side. This would eventually evolve to the familiar chalice-shaped cup given to tennis champions today."

Not an accurate account of the origin of the Davis Cup, which was already in existence when its originator landed in the Philippines. In fact, the country first competed in the tournament in 1926, four years before Davis was assigned here. We digress at this point in Philippine tennis history to correct the unintended fiction.

       

According to Wikipedia, Dwight Filley Davis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_F._Davis), who was born in St. Louis, Missouri on July 5, 1879 and died November 28, 1945, was an American tennis player and politician, who is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition.

Though educated at Washington University Law School, Davis never practiced as attorney. Politically active in his home town, he served as the city's public parks commissioner (1911-15), during which time he expanded athletic facilities and created the first municipal tennis courts in the United States.

After a stint as United States Secretary of War (1925-29) under President Calvin Coolidge, Davis became Governor-General of the Philippines (1930-32) under President Herbert Hoover, to be succeeded in this position by Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Davis was the runner-up for the men's singles title at the US Championships in 1898. The left-handed, big-serving Harvardian won the Intercollegiate title in 1899. No. 2 in 1899 and 1900, Davis ranked in the U.S. Top Ten four times between 1898 and 1901.

Teaming up with Holcombe Ward, they won the men's doubles title at the championships for three years in a row from 1899-1901. Davis and Ward were also men's doubles runners-up at Wimbledon in 1901.

Grand Slam Record Tournament Record
U.S. Singles, 1889 Intercollegiate Singles, 1899
Doubles, 1899-1901 Doubles, 1899
Doubles finalist, 1889, 1903 Davis Cup Team Member, 1900, 1902
Wimbledon Doubles finalist, 1901

Davis is best known for launching the great worldwide team competition that bears his name: Davis Cup, according to his profile in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1956 (http://www.tennisfame.com/famer.aspx?pgID=867&hof_id=86).

In 1899, four members of the Harvard University tennis team challenged the British to a tennis competition. Once the British agreed, one of the four Harvard players, Davis, designed a tournament format and donated a silver bowl which he purchased with his own funds from Boston jeweler, Shreve, Crump & Low. His fellow members at Longwood Cricket Club jocularly referred to it as "Dwight's pot."

The first match between the United States and Great Britain was held at Longwood in Boston in 1900. The original U.S. team was a Harvard production with Davis as captain. He and schoolmates Malcolm Whitman and Holcombe Ward played a 3-0 victory over the British.

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 1914.

Initially named the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, the tournament organized by Davis and the Americans soon became known as the Davis Cup, after Davis' trophy.

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