1978 Davis Cup Americas Zone
# 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.

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

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. 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. However, Lamb did not play, and his inclusion in the squad was derided as tokenism. Crowds of up to 5000 turned out in protest.

## North & Central America Zone

### Draw

| Semifinals 15–17 December 1977 | Semifinals 15–17 December 1977 | Semifinals 15–17 December 1977 | Final 17–19 March | Final 17–19 March | Final 17–19 March |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| United States | United States | | | | |
| United States | United States | | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) |
| bye | bye | | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) | Nashville, TN, United States (indoor carpet) |
| bye | bye | | United States | United States | 4 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | Johannesburg, South Africa | Johannesburg, South Africa | United States | United States | 4 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | Johannesburg, South Africa | Johannesburg, South Africa | South Africa | South Africa | 1 |
| South Africa | South Africa | 4 | South Africa | South Africa | 1 |
| Colombia | Colombia | 1 | | | |

### Semifinals

South Africa vs. Colombia

| South Africa 4 | Johannesburg, South Africa 15–17 December 1977 | Johannesburg, South Africa 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 17–19 March 1978 Carpet (indoors) | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States 17–19 March 1978 Carpet (indoors) | South Africa 1 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 | First Round 1–6 November 1977 | First Round 1–6 November 1977 | Qualifying Round 9–11 December 1977 | Qualifying Round 9–11 December 1977 | Qualifying Round 9–11 December 1977 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chile | Chile | | | | |
| Chile | Chile | | Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile |
| bye | bye | | Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile |
| bye | bye | | Chile | Chile | 5 |
| Lima, Peru | Lima, Peru | Lima, Peru | Chile | Chile | 5 |
| Lima, Peru | Lima, Peru | Lima, Peru | Bolivia | Bolivia | 0 |
| Peru | Peru | 0 | Bolivia | Bolivia | 0 |
| Bolivia | Bolivia | 5 | | | |
| Montevideo, Uruguay (clay) | Montevideo, Uruguay (clay) | Montevideo, Uruguay (clay) | | | |
| Uruguay | Uruguay | 3 | | | |
| Uruguay | Uruguay | 3 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Montevideo, Uruguay | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Ecuador | Ecuador | 2 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Montevideo, Uruguay | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Ecuador | Ecuador | 2 | Uruguay | Uruguay | 4 |
| | | | Brazil | Brazil | 1 |
| bye | bye | | Brazil | Brazil | 1 |
| Brazil | Brazil | | | | |

**First round**

Peru vs. Bolivia

| Peru 0 | Lima, Peru 4–6 November 1977 | Lima, Peru 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 November 1977 Clay | Montevideo, Uruguay November 1977 Clay | Ecuador 2 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 9–11 December 1977 | Santiago, Chile 9–11 December 1977 | Bolivia 0 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 9–11 December 1977 | Montevideo, Uruguay 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 | Semifinals 18–20 December 1977 | Semifinals 18–20 December 1977 | Final 17–19 March | Final 17–19 March | Final 17–19 March |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile | Santiago, Chile | | | |
| Chile | Chile | 5 | | | |
| Chile | Chile | 5 | Santiago, Chile (clay) | Santiago, Chile (clay) | Santiago, Chile (clay) |
| Uruguay | Uruguay | 0 | Santiago, Chile (clay) | Santiago, Chile (clay) | Santiago, Chile (clay) |
| Uruguay | Uruguay | 0 | Chile | Chile | 3 |
| | | | Argentina | Argentina | 2 |
| bye | bye | | Argentina | Argentina | 2 |
| Argentina | Argentina | | | | |

### Semifinals

Chile vs. Uruguay

| Chile 5 | Santiago, Chile 18–20 December 1977 | Santiago, Chile 18–20 December 1977 | Uruguay 0 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 17–19 March 1978 Clay | Santiago, Chile 17–19 March 1978 Clay | Argentina 2 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 15–17 September 1978 Clay | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile 15–17 September 1978 Clay | United States 3 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 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 ||||
