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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters 100 years of tradition
By Nashwa Abdel-TawabEgypt jumped back to Group II in the Davis Cup on an auspicious occasion: the centennial of the grand old competition. Last year, Egypt was relegated to Group III after losing 2-3 to Côte d'Ivoire and 1-4 to Poland. But this year, Egypt clawed its way back, topping its group following an unbeaten run of matches, all played in Gezira Sporting Club. In the final, Egypt beat Luxembourg 3-0 as 17-year-old Karim Maamoun, ranked 1,063 in the world, beat Giles Kremer, also 17, 7-5 6-4. In the second singles matches, Amr Ghoneim, ranked 803, beat Pascal Schaul, ranked 1,229, 6-4 6-2. Maamoun and Ghoneim teamed up in doubles to defeat Kremer and Schaul 6-4, 6-4. Bosnia took third after beating Tunisia 2-0. Nigeria came in sixth followed by Benin. The four countries will remain stuck in Group III. Algeria, which finished seventh and eighth-placed Ghana were relegated to Group IV. Bosnia has been unable to move past Group III for the past five years.
Bosnia appeared taken aback at the almost total lack of support the players received from Egyptian fans. "They played when bombs were going off and decided not to stop playing or working to prove themselves in both fields," coach Mirsad Tanovic said. "They were disappointed, however, to find nobody supporting them in a Muslim country."
The eight teams that made up Group III each had four players. The countries were divided into two groups. Group A included Algeria, Ghana, Luxembourg and Tunisia while Group B consisted of Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt and Nigeria. The teams played a round-robin format; each encounter consisted of two singles and one doubles match. The matches were played in a best-of-three set series to shorten game time. The games were played on four separate clay courts and although Egypt played on the central court, few fans bothered to show up. The lack of interest was understandable since Group III was composed of players either too young or too old with no top international ranking. Thus the level of performance was mediocre at best.
But there is nothing middling or uninteresting about the Davis Cup celebrations this year. The cup's universal appeal has always been a mix of tradition and patriotism. Nearly 100 years ago, Harvard student Dwight Davis donated both his name and the beautiful silver trophy to a competition whose growth and prosperity even he could not have imagined. From two nations in 1900 to 129 in 1999, Davis' dream of a team competition between the United States and the British Isles has become the largest annual international team competition in sport.
Egypt's super star Amr Ghoneim in action photo: Mohamed Mosaad
The Davis Cup has more than its fair share of drama, excitement and skill. Players frequently rise to the challenge of representing their country and produce some of the best performances of their career. Although only 16 countries can compete directly for the trophy, the ties in the zonal groups are equally exciting and always equally competitive. Each year eight nations have the chance to win promotion to the World Group, allowing up-and-coming countries from the three regional zonal groups to join the Davis Cup elite.
There will be celebrations throughout 1999 to honour this venerable competition on its centenary, including a celebration at the Longwood Cricket Club, the venue for the first Davis Cup tie between the United States and the British Isles in 1900. The ITF World Champions' Dinner, held in Paris during the French Open, will also have a Davis Cup theme.
Throughout its history, the Davis Cup has remained a vital part of the sporting calendar by embracing change, although not change for change's sake. All of the crucial elements that made the Davis Cup an early success are still present in today's competition. Players are nominated for a national team. There are four singles matches and a doubles match. All matches are best-of-five sets. Changes that have dramatically altered the face, if not the spirit of the Davis Cup, include the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1972, the creation of the Final Round in that same year, the development of the World Group in 1981, the addition of the tie-break in all but the fifth set in 1989. This year, in zonal Group IV, the games are played in best-of-three sets with two singles matches and one doubles. The advantage point, when the two players draw 40-40, has been cancelled and replaced by a decisive point and a receiver's choice. "It's a way to cut the game short," said Jean-Jacques Ntab, International Tennis Federation (ITF) observer of the 1999 Euro-African Zone Group III. "Instead of gaining two consecutive points, which might extend the game a very long time, it has been reduced to only one point and under the choice of the receiver in which side he will receive the serve." .
