Tennis History Tuesday: Presidential Participation

Presidential participation in tennis highlights today’s “Tennis History Tuesday” – which also marks the two-week mark for Barack Obama as President of the United States. U.S. President Harry Truman and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe participated in duties associated with the Davis Cup in today’s excerpt from my new book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.tennishistorybook.com). The following are events that happened today, February 3, on this day in tennis history.

February 3

1947 – President Harry Truman conducts the Davis Cup draw at the White House, joining U.S. President Calvin Coolidge as the only U.S Presidents to conduct the Davis Cup draw. Says Truman during the proceedings, “I hope the time will come when we can settle our international differences in courts, just as we settle our tennis differences on a court.”

1989 – Sixteen-year-old Michael Chang makes his Davis Cup debut defeating Victor Pecci 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 helping the United States to a 2-0 lead over Paraguay in the Davis Cup first round in Ft. Myers, Fla.  Chang also becomes the first American to play a Davis Cup tie-break in the first set of his match with Pecci. The tie-break is formally introduced to Davis Cup play (except in the fifth set) beginning in the 1989 season. Chang is also the second youngest player to play Davis Cup for the United States at this tie at the age of sixteen years, 11 months and 12 days. Wilbur Coen, at 16 years, 5 months in 1928, is the youngest American to play Davis Cup.

1985 – Nineteen-year-old and No. 19-ranked Stefan Edberg wins his second career singles title, trouncing Yannick Noah 6-1, 6-0 in 54 minutes in the final of the U.S. National Indoor Championships in Memphis. Edberg hits five aces and commits only three unforced errors against the No. 14 ranked Noah, who is slowed by an ankle injury. Says Edberg, “I don’t think I ever played so well.”

1990 – Rick Leach and Jim Pugh make their Davis Cup debuts for the United States and defeat Leonardo Lavalle and Jorge Lozano 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 to clinch the 4-0 victory over Mexico in the Davis Cup first round in Carlsbad, Calif. Leach and Pugh become one of the most successful Davis Cup doubles pairings for the United States, posting a perfect 6-0 record in 1990 and 1991.

2000 – Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe presides over the draw ceremony for the USA vs. Zimbabwe Davis Cup first round tie in Harare, Zimbabwe. The African leader, who later earns the reputation as one of the world’s most ruthless dictators, calls the first-round match between his tiny nation and the United States, featuring first-year captain John McEnroe and all-time great Andre Agassi, as “the dwarfs against the giants.”