The tournament was conceived in 1899[1] by four members of theHarvard University tennis team, who came up with the idea of challenging the British to atennis competition. Once the idea received the go-ahead from theUnited States Lawn Tennis Association and the BritishLawn Tennis Association,Dwight F. Davis,[2] one of the four Harvard players,[3] designed a tournament format and spent money from his own pocket to purchase an appropriate sterling silver trophy from Shreve, Crump & Low. The first match between theUnited States and theBritish Isles was held at theLongwood Cricket Club inBoston,Massachusetts in 1900. The American team, of which Davis was a part, won the first three matches and the Challenge.[3]
Dwight Davis: A left-hander who possessed the twist serve, backing this up with steady ground strokes and volleys. In 1899, Davis won the Intercollegiate andUS National Doubles Championships with Ward.[4]
Holcombe Ward: A right-hander and credited with originating the twist serve. He won the Intercollegiate and US National Doubles Championships with Davis in 1899.[5]
Malcolm Whitman: A right-hander who appeared in the quarterfinals of the 1896 and 1897 US National Championships and won in 1898, defeating Dwight F. Davis in the all-comers final and receiving the title because 1897 championRobert Wrenn was fighting in theSpanish–American War. Prior to the Challenge he had placed in the U.S. Top 10 three times, and was ranked No. 1 in 1898 and 1899.[5]
Arthur Gore: A right-hander who appeared in the semifinals of the 1898 Wimbledon Championships, the Challenge Round of the 1899 Championships – losing toReginald Doherty – and the all-comers final of the 1900 Championships, losing toSydney Smith.[6]
Herbert Roper Barrett: A right-hander who appeared in the semifinals of the 1899 Wimbledon Championships and the quarterfinals of the 1900 Championships.[6] He also teamed withHarold Nisbet to reach the Challenge Round in the doubles at the latter Championships, losing toLaurence and Reginald Doherty.[7]
^abCollins, Bud (2008).The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New Chapter Press. p. 640.ISBN978-0-942257-41-0.
^abCollins, Bud (2008).The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New Chapter Press. p. 408.ISBN978-0-942257-41-0.
^Collins, Bud (2008).The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New Chapter Press. p. 427.ISBN978-0-942257-41-0.
United States
