NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

The millenium milestones

August 8-10, 1900: United States win first Davis Cup

Dwight Filley Davis, a 21-year-old Harvard student, had offered a silver punchbowl for an international tennis tournament, and played in the US team that beat sole challengers Britain at Longwood Cricket Club in Boston in the first ever edition of the Davis Cup.

The first encounter was played on grass and in a heat wave. It was a one-sided affair with the US team, captained by Davis, winning 3-0.

Davis beat Ernest Black 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in the opening singles and then teamed up with Holcombe Ward to beat Black and Herbert Roper-Barrett 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the doubles.

A fourth match, between Davis and Arthur Gore, was abandoned due to heavy rain with Davis leading 9-7 9-9.

The competition did not take place in 1901 because Britain could not raise a team, but from those simple beginnings emerged the biggest annual event in team tennis.

August 14, 1948: Don Bradman ducks out

''The Don'' came in to bat at London's Oval in his last Test match to the sound of a standing ovation.

Two balls later, the great Australian batsman was heading back to the pavilion, bowled for a duck by Eric Hollies to the disbelief of the crowd and his team mates.

Bradman had needed just four more runs to retire with a Test average of 100. He ended with 99.94.

It was suggested that tears of emotion had clouded his vision but Bradman refused to countenance the idea.

''Typical of Bradman, he just tucked the bat under his arm and walked off as if he had got 100,'' reminisced teammate Arthur Morris last year, when Bradman turned 90.