1923 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
# 1923 International Lawn Tennis Challenge

The 1923 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 18th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. For the first time, the competition was split into two zones: the America Zone and the Europe Zone. This change was necessitated by having more than 16 teams compete for the cup (thus not fitting into one easily workable draw). The past several years had also seen a rise in the number of defaults, as teams from around the globe tried to work out the logistics of playing such an international tournament. Regional zones would help alleviate these problems.

The Europe Zone consisted of 13 teams, while the America Zone was made up of 4 teams. Hawaii competed for the first and only time. The winners of the Zones met in an Inter-Zonal play-off, with the winner challenging defending champions the United States for the championship.

Australia defeated France in the Inter-Zonal play-off, but again lost to the United States in the Challenge Round. The final was played at the West Side Tennis Club in New York City on 31 August – 3 September.

## America Zone

### Draw

| Semifinals 26–28 July | Semifinals 26–28 July | Semifinals 26–28 July | Final 9–12 August | Final 9–12 August | Final 9–12 August |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Orange, NJ, United States (grass) | Orange, NJ, United States (grass) | Orange, NJ, United States (grass) | | | |
| Australia | Australia | 4 | | | |
| Australia | Australia | 4 | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | 1 | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) | Chicago, IL, United States (grass) |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | 1 | Australia | Australia | 4 |
| Montreal, Canada (grass) | Montreal, Canada (grass) | Montreal, Canada (grass) | Australia | Australia | 4 |
| Montreal, Canada (grass) | Montreal, Canada (grass) | Montreal, Canada (grass) | Japan | Japan | 1 |
| Canada | Canada | 0 | Japan | Japan | 1 |
| Japan | Japan | 5 | | | |

### Final

Australia vs. Japan

| Australia 4 | South Side Tennis Club, Chicago, IL, United States 9–12 August 1923 Grass | South Side Tennis Club, Chicago, IL, United States 9–12 August 1923 Grass | Japan 1 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 James Anderson Zenzo Shimizu 6 0 6 3 6 3       2 John Hawkes Masanosuke Fukuda 6 3 6 4 6 3       3 James Anderson / John Hawkes Seiichiro Kashio / Zenzo Shimizu 6 1 6 2 6 2       4 John Hawkes Zenzo Shimizu 4 6 6 3 6 2 1 6 4 6   5 James Anderson Masanosuke Fukuda 6 1 3 6 6 2 6 1 ||||

## Europe Zone

### Draw

| First Round 15 May–4 June | First Round 15 May–4 June | First Round 15 May–4 June | Quarterfinals 1–23 June | Quarterfinals 1–23 June | Quarterfinals 1–23 June | Semifinals 9–15 July | Semifinals 9–15 July | Semifinals 9–15 July | Final 28 July–1 August | Final 28 July–1 August | Final 28 July–1 August |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Netherlands | Netherlands | | | | | | | | | | |
| Netherlands | Netherlands | | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | | | | | | |
| bye | bye | | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | Noordwijk, Netherlands (clay) | | | | | | |
| bye | bye | | Netherlands | Netherlands | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | Italy | Italy | 0 | | | | | | |
| Italy | Italy | | Italy | Italy | 0 | | | | | | |
| Italy | Italy | | | | | Eastbourne, England (grass) | Eastbourne, England (grass) | Eastbourne, England (grass) | | | |
| bye | bye | | | | | Eastbourne, England (grass) | Eastbourne, England (grass) | Eastbourne, England (grass) | | | |
| bye | bye | | | | | Netherlands | Netherlands | 0 | | | |
| Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | | | | Netherlands | Netherlands | 0 | | | |
| Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | | | | Spain | Spain | 5 | | | |
| Great Britain | Great Britain | 3 | | | | Spain | Spain | 5 | | | |
| Great Britain | Great Britain | 3 | Manchester, England (grass) | Manchester, England (grass) | Manchester, England (grass) | | | | | | |
| Belgium | Belgium | 2 | Manchester, England (grass) | Manchester, England (grass) | Manchester, England (grass) | | | | | | |
| Belgium | Belgium | 2 | Great Britain | Great Britain | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | Spain | Spain | 3 | | | | | | |
| Spain | Spain | w/o | Spain | Spain | 3 | | | | | | |
| Spain | Spain | w/o | | | | | | | Deauville, France (clay) | Deauville, France (clay) | Deauville, France (clay) |
| Romania | Romania | | | | | | | | Deauville, France (clay) | Deauville, France (clay) | Deauville, France (clay) |
| Romania | Romania | | | | | | | | Spain | Spain | 2 |
| Bordeaux, France (clay) | Bordeaux, France (clay) | Bordeaux, France (clay) | | | | | | | Spain | Spain | 2 |
| Bordeaux, France (clay) | Bordeaux, France (clay) | Bordeaux, France (clay) | | | | | | | France | France | 3 |
| France | France | 4 | | | | | | | France | France | 3 |
| France | France | 4 | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | | | | | | |
| Denmark | Denmark | 1 | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | | | | | | |
| Denmark | Denmark | 1 | France | France | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | France | France | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Dublin, Ireland (grass) | Ireland | Ireland | 1 | | | | | | |
| Ireland | Ireland | 3 | Ireland | Ireland | 1 | | | | | | |
| Ireland | Ireland | 3 | | | | Lyon, France (clay) | Lyon, France (clay) | Lyon, France (clay) | | | |
| India | India | 2 | | | | Lyon, France (clay) | Lyon, France (clay) | Lyon, France (clay) | | | |
| India | India | 2 | | | | France | France | 3 | | | |
| Territet, Switzerland | Territet, Switzerland | Territet, Switzerland | | | | France | France | 3 | | | |
| Territet, Switzerland | Territet, Switzerland | Territet, Switzerland | | | | Switzerland | 2 | |
| Switzerland | Switzerland | 3 | | | | Switzerland | 2 | |
| Switzerland | Switzerland | 3 | Geneva, Switzerland | Geneva, Switzerland | Geneva, Switzerland | | | | | |
| Czechoslovakia | Czechoslovakia | 2 | Geneva, Switzerland | Geneva, Switzerland | Geneva, Switzerland | | | | | |
| Czechoslovakia | Czechoslovakia | 2 | Switzerland | Switzerland | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | Argentina | Argentina | 1 | | | | | |
| bye | bye | | Argentina | Argentina | 1 | | | | | |
| Argentina | Argentina | | | | | | | | | |

### Final

France vs. Spain

| France 3 | Sporting Club, Deauville, France 28 July – 1 August 1923 Clay | Sporting Club, Deauville, France 28 July – 1 August 1923 Clay | Spain 2 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 René Lacoste Manuel de Gomar 6 3 6 4 5 7 6 4     2 Jean-François Blanchy Eduardo Flaquer 6 1 6 2 3 6 6 1     3 Jacques Brugnon / Henri Cochet Eduardo Flaquer / Manuel de Gomar 4 6 6 8 13 11 6 1 4 6   4 René Lacoste Eduardo Flaquer 6 1 6 3 6 2       5 Jean-François Blanchy Manuel de Gomar 3 6 6 2 2 6 2 6 ||||

## Inter-Zonal Final

Australia vs. France

| Australia 4 | Longwood Cricket Club, Boston, MA, United States 16–18 August 1923 Grass | Longwood Cricket Club, Boston, MA, United States 16–18 August 1923 Grass | France 1 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 James Anderson René Lacoste 7 5 6 3 6 4       2 John Hawkes Jacques Brugnon 6 2 6 1 7 5       3 James Anderson / John Hawkes Jacques Brugnon / René Lacoste 6 8 6 3 6 3 6 8 9 7   4 James Anderson Pierre Hirsch 7 5 6 2 6 0       5 Ian McInnes René Lacoste 2 6 1 6 2 6 ||||

## Challenge Round

United States vs. Australia

| United States 4 | West Side Tennis Club, New York, NY, United States 31 August–3 September 1923 Grass | West Side Tennis Club, New York, NY, United States 31 August–3 September 1923 Grass | Australia 1 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Bill Johnston James Anderson 6 4 2 6 6 2 5 7 2 6   2 Bill Tilden John Hawkes 6 4 6 2 6 1       3 Bill Tilden / Richard Norris Williams James Anderson / John Hawkes 17 15 11 13 2 6 6 3 6 2   4 Bill Johnston John Hawkes 6 0 6 2 6 1       5 Bill Tilden James Anderson 6 2 6 3 1 6 7 5 ||||
