1978 Nations Cup (tennis)

1978 Nations Cup
DateMay 8 – 15
Edition2nd
CategoryGrand Prix circuit
Draw8 teams
Prize money£100,000
SurfaceClay / outdoor
LocationDüsseldorf, West Germany
VenueRochusclub
Champions
Spain Spain
← 1975 · Nations Cup · 1979 →

The 1978 Nations Cup, also known by its sponsored name Ambre Solaire Nations Cup, was a men's team tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the second edition of the Nations Cup and the event was part of the 1978 Grand Prix circuit. It took place at the Rochusclub in Düsseldorf in West Germany from 8 May through 15 May 1978. Total prize money was £100,000 and in total 36,000 people attended the event.[1] The United States were the defending champions. Spain defeated Australia in the final, watched by a crowd of nearly 7,000, to win the title for the first time and earn the $60,000 first-prize money.[2][3]

The draw consisted of eight teams divided over two round-robin groups. The two best ranked teams from each group proceeded to the semifinals. Each match consisted of two singles and a doubles.

Players

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Section A

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Section B

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Round robin

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Section A

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Standings

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Pos. Country Points Matches Sets
1  Italy 3–0 6–2 13–9
2  Spain 2–1 5–4 13–10
3  Chile 1–2 4–5 9–13
4  Germany 0–3 3–6 10–13

Spain vs. Germany

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Spain
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Germany
1
1 2 3
1 Spain
Germany
Manuel Orantes
Jürgen Fassbender
7
5
2
6
6
1
 
2 Spain
Germany
José Higueras
Uli Pinner
6
3
6
3
   
3 Spain
Germany
Manuel Orantes / José Higueras
Uli Pinner / Jürgen Fassbender
6
2
5
7
3
6
 

Italy vs. Chile

[edit]

Italy
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Chile
1
1 2 3
1 Italy
Chile
Adriano Panatta
Jaime Fillol
6
3
6
1
   
2 Italy
Chile
Paolo Bertolucci
Hans Gildemeister
6
3
3
6
5
7
 
3 Italy
Chile
Adriano Panatta / Paolo Bertolucci
Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol
6
4
6
4
   

Chile vs. Germany

[edit]

Chile
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Germany
1
1 2 3
1 Chile
Germany
Jaime Fillol
Jürgen Fassbender
6
4
1
6
6
3
 
2 Chile
Germany
Hans Gildemeister
Uli Pinner
4
6
5
7
   
3 Chile
Germany
Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol
Jürgen Fassbender / Uli Pinner
6
4
7
6
   

Italy vs. Spain

[edit]

Italy
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Spain
1
1 2 3
1 Italy
Spain
Adriano Panatta
Manuel Orantes
7
6
6
7
6
3
 
2 Italy
Spain
Paolo Bertolucci
José Higueras
2
6
4
6
   
3 Italy
Spain
Adriano Panatta / Paolo Bertolucci
Manuel Orantes / José Higueras
6
1
6
3
   

Italy vs. Germany

[edit]

Italy
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Germany
1
1 2 3
1 Italy
Germany
Adriano Panatta
Jürgen Fassbender
5
7
4
6
   
2 Italy
Germany
Paolo Bertolucci
Rolf Gehring
6
4
3
6
6
4
 
3 Italy
Germany
Adriano Panatta / Paolo Bertolucci
Jürgen Fassbender / Rolf Gehring
6
7
7
6
7
6
 

Spain vs. Chile

[edit]

Spain
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Chile
1
1 2 3
1 Spain
Chile
Manuel Orantes
Jaime Fillol
6
2
6
4
   
2 Spain
Chile
José Higueras
Hans Gildemeister
6
4
2
6
7
5
 
3 Spain
Chile
Manuel Orantes / José Higueras
Jaime Fillol / Patricio Cornejo
6
4
6
7
2
6
 

Section B

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Standings

[edit]
Pos. Country Points Matches Sets
1  United States 3–0 6–3 14–6
2  Australia 2–1 5–4 10–10
3  Great Britain 1–2 4–5 10–11
4  Poland 0–3 3–6 7–14

USA vs. Australia

[edit]

United States
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Australia
1
1 2 3
1 United States
Australia
Roscoe Tanner
Phil Dent
6
2
7
6
   
2 United States
Australia
Harold Solomon
John Newcombe
6
4
6
4
   
3 United States
Australia
Roscoe Tanner / Bob Lutz
Phil Dent / John Newcombe
3
6
6
3
3
6
 

Great Britain vs. Poland

[edit]

Great Britain
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Poland
1
1 2 3
1 United Kingdom
Poland
Buster Mottram
Wojciech Fibak
6
3
2
6
6
7
 
2 United Kingdom
Poland
John Lloyd
Tadeusz Nowicki
6
2
6
2
   
3 United Kingdom
Poland
John Lloyd / Buster Mottram
Wojciech Fibak / Tadeusz Nowicki
2
6
6
2
7
6
 

USA vs. Poland

[edit]

United States
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Poland
1
1 2 3
1 United States
Poland
Roscoe Tanner
Wojciech Fibak
6
2
6
4
   
2 United States
Poland
Harold Solomon
Tadeusz Nowicki
6
2
6
2
   
3 United States
Poland
Roscoe Tanner / Bob Lutz
Wojciech Fibak / Tadeusz Nowicki
6
7
6
0
3
6
 

Australia vs. Great Britain

[edit]

Australia
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Great Britain
1
1 2 3
1 Australia
United Kingdom
Phil Dent
Buster Mottram
6
2
7
6
   
2 Australia
United Kingdom
John Newcombe
John Lloyd
6
7
2
6
   
3 Australia
United Kingdom
Phil Dent / John Newcombe
John Lloyd / Buster Mottram
2
6
6
3
7
5
 

USA vs. Great Britain

[edit]

United States
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Great Britain
1
1 2 3
1 United States
United Kingdom
Roscoe Tanner
Buster Mottram
4
6
6
7
   
2 United States
United Kingdom
Harold Solomon
John Lloyd
6
3
6
0
   
3 United States
United Kingdom
Roscoe Tanner / Bob Lutz
John Lloyd / Buster Mottram
6
3
7
5
   

Australia vs. Poland

[edit]

Australia
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Poland
1
1 2 3
1 Australia
Poland
Phil Dent
Wojciech Fibak
0
6
1
6
   
2 Australia
Poland
John Newcombe
Tadeusz Nowicki
7
5
6
1
   
3 Australia
Poland
Phil Dent / John Newcombe
Wojciech Fibak / Tadeusz Nowicki
6
2
6
2
   

Semifinal

[edit]

Australia vs. Italy

[edit]

Australia
3
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

Italy
0
1 2 3
1 Australia
Italy
Phil Dent
Adriano Panatta
7
6
5
4
   
2 Australia
Italy
John Newcombe
Paolo Bertolucci
6
3
6
2
   
3 Australia
Italy
John Newcombe / Phil Dent
Paolo Bertolucci / Antonio Zugarelli
7
6
5
3
   

Spain vs. USA

[edit]

Spain
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
May 1978
Clay

United States
1
1 2 3
1 Spain
United States
Manuel Orantes
Roscoe Tanner
6
4
7
6
   
2 Spain
United States
José Higueras
Harold Solomon
6
2
6
2
   
3 Spain
United States
Manuel Orantes / José Higueras
Harold Solomon / Bob Lutz
6
2
4
6
5
7
 

Final

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Spain vs. Australia

[edit]

Spain
2
Düsseldorf, Germany
16 May 1978
Clay

Australia
1
1 2 3
1 Spain
Australia
José Higueras
John Newcombe
6
2
6
3
   
2 Spain
Australia
Manuel Orantes
Phil Dent
6
3
6
4
   
3 Spain
Australia
Manuel Orantes / José Higueras
John Newcombe / Phil Dent
6
7
4
6
   

See also

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References

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  1. ^ John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. pp. 217–217. ISBN 978-0354090681.
  2. ^ "Spanish Players Claim First". Herald-Journal. AP. May 16, 1978. p. A7.
  3. ^ "Results – Other Events – Ambre Solaire Nations Cup". Tennis – Incorporating Lawn Tennis Magazine. 3 (6): 75. July 1978.