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 Back to its roots Davis Cup returns to Longwood
Posted: Thursday July 15, 1999 09:50 PM
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) -- With the impeccably-manicured grass courts still spreading out from the classic Longwood Cricket Club, Dwight Davis' baby has returned to its roots. It was 1900 when Davis, then a senior at nearby Harvard University, purchased a silver bowl and invited a British team to tea and tennis. This weekend, the two winningest nations in Davis Cup history -- the United States and Australia -- return to Longwood to celebrate that occasion with a centennial match. Playing on the grass in front of the clubhouse, the Americans won that first competition 3-0. This time, the best-of-5 matches will be contested on a hard court in a corner of the grounds. The matches in 1900 were contested by gentlemen of means. Davis, whose father was rumored to be the richest man in Missouri, went on to become Secretary of War under President Calvin Coolidge and governor-general of the Philippines under President Herbert Hoover. This week's matches will be played by the top professionals in the game, including six-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras and 1997-98 U.S. Open winner Patrick Rafter. Like the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the site of the Wimbledon championships, the Longwood Cricket Club's name is a connection with the past. Cricket has not been played in this enclave in suburban Boston since 1933. The Longwood estate, where the club was first organized in 1877 by two dozen cricket players in search of playing fields, was named for the house where Napoleon lived in exile on the island of St. Helena off the coast of Africa. In 1878, the club acquired two sets of tennis rackets, laid out a grass tennis court and became an early hotbed of the new sport of lawn tennis. One of the first members was Richard D. Sears, who won the U.S. Championships, now the U.S. Open, a record seven consecutive years. The first tournament was held in May 1882 and the Eastern Doubles Championship began in 1890. Twelve other Longwood members have won national titles, including Hall of Famer Hazel Wightman, while Dr. James Dwight was founder of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, now the USTA. In 1891 -- the same year the Nationals tournament began at the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I. -- the Longwood Bowl tournament, which attracted all the ranking American players of the day, was started by the club. The Longwood Bowl was played until 1942. For nearly the first half of this century, the most prestigious tournaments in the United States were the Nationals, the Longwood Bowl and the Eastern Doubles. From 1935 until 1968, with the exception of the war years -- 1942-45 -- the National Women's Doubles tournament was contested at Longwood. In 1968, it moved back to New York where it became part of the U.S. Open. In 1964, Longwood staged the U.S. Professional Tennis Championships. On the strength of the club's willingness to host the event, Jack Kramer began a pro touring group, the International Professional Tennis Player Association, that played an eight-city circuit leading up to Longwood. This became a major factor in helping professional tennis take root, culminating in open tennis beginning in 1968. Longwood still stages the U.S. Pro Championships, which at 72 is the oldest professional tennis tournament in the country. Today, the club has 41 courts: 25 grass, 13 clay and three hard. Twelve times since Dwight Davis began his international team competition, the Davis Cup has returned to the Longwood Cricket Club. Surprisingly, Australia has played more ties at Longwood (eight) than the United States (four). Until recently, teams played major competitions not necessarily on home grounds as they do now. This is the first Davis Cup played at Longwood since 1959, when Australia defeated India 4-1.
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