Norway Davis Cup team
Encyclopedia
The Norway Davis Cup team represents Norway in Davis Cup
tennis
competition and are governed by the Norges Tennisforbund.
Unlike neighbours Sweden
, Norway have never been a tennis powerhouse. They currently compete in Group Two of the Europe/Africa Zone and have never qualified for the World Group, though they reached the World Group Play-offs in 1995
.
, with Torleif Torkildsen taking Norway's first win, at home in a 1–4 defeat to Hungary
. Torkildsen was a main feature of Norway's side in the early seasons, with a 1–9 record between 1928
and 1932
.
Norway were relegated to the qualifying rounds after 1933
, but turned out their best result the following year, losing 2–3 in their third meeting with Hungary
. Finn-Trygve Smith gave away a two-set lead in the first rubber, but Emil Gabori defeated Smith in the final rubber to win the game for Hungary. This also marked Johan Haanes
' Davis Cup debut; Haanes registered a 6–23 record in a 17-year career interrupted by World War II, and only three Norwegian wins during his career was not due to Haanes.
Norway did not enter in 1935
, but returned in 1936
with another 2–3 result against 1933 quarter-finalists Belgium
at home. André Lacroix
won all his three games for Belgium and prevented Norway's first tie victory.
The advances were temporary. Norway lost 15 successive rubbers up to 1939, and though they advanced to the quarter-final in 1939, that was only due to a forfeit from the invaded Czechoslovakia
.
Norway nearly eliminated New Zealand
in their first ever match for eight years. Haanes and Jan Staubo
both won a singles match each, but New Zealand turned the tables after four- and five-set victories in the final singles matches.
Haanes continued good form the following season, defeating Geoffrey Paish
as Norway went down 1–4 to a Great Britain
which would reach the semi-finals. Successive 0–5 defeats to a Lennart Bergelin
-led Sweden team followed, before Johan Haanes won his final Davis Cup game in 1951
. Adly El-Shafei won all his three games, though, and Egypt eliminated Norway.
In 1953
, Norway achieved their first victory, with Nils-Erik Hessen, Rolf Pape and Finn Søhol defeating Luxembourg
in Mondorf-les-Bains
. All were mainstays in the side throughout the 1950s, and featured in Norway's 1954
win over Finland
(3–2). Søhol also helped Norway defeat Israel
by 4–1 in the 1956 tournament
, which also gave the first win for Gunnar Sjøwall. However, five defeats followed, and it was not until Norway drew Portugal
in 1963
and 1964
that they managed to win again. Norway went 9–1 on aggregate in these two clashes, with Søhol the only loser, and in the 1963 second round tie against Denmark
Sjøwall defeated Jørgen Ulrich, a player who had reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon
on two occasions. An 18-year-old Per Hegna also participated; he lost all his three games and didn't participate in the Davis Cup for ten years, but was to become a key player for Norway later.
Following the wins over Portugal, Norway struggled once more. They did manage a 4–1 win over Luxembourg in 1968
, with Fridtjof Prydz (4 wins, 11 losses) winning both singles matches; doubles specialist Erik Melander (5 wins, 8 losses) had debuted the previous year in France
, and the doubles team of Melander and Prydz got Norway's only win in the 1–4 loss to Israel in the 1971
. Prydz and Jon-Erik Ross (2 wins, 11 losses) also defeated Egypt
's doubles team in 1970.
Norway had to play preliminary qualifying matches for the first time since 1934. Hegna returned to Davis Cup play, and on an indoor court in Dublin Hegna, Melander, Finn-Dag Jagge and Thorvald Moe swept Ireland
aside by 5–0 (though Melander and Moe had to play a 42-game set in the doubles match), and received a home first round clash with Denmark, where Hegna won both his singles matches and Norway eked out a 3–2 win. Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1939, where they failed to win a set in France
and lost 30–92 in games. Hegna and Melander faced François Jauffret
and Patrick Proisy
, who had both reached the last four at Roland Garros
and at the time both were ranked in the top 40, in the singles matches.
Nevertheless, Norway were not qualified for the main draw in the European Zone in 1974
, and after Hegna and Thorvald Moe secured a 4–1 win over Iran
they required to beat Spain in a play-off in Barcelona. Norway performed even worse than against France the previous year, winning only 26 of 116 games.
Then followed five preliminary round losses, with only Hegna able to secure solitary match wins in ties with Morocco
and Netherlands
. Hegna also won all three of his matches as Norway beat Turkey
in 1980
, but in the final qualifier against West Germany Norway won 18 games in four matches. Norway were thus two wins away for qualifying for the modern-day World Group, which was instituted in 1981
. Instead, Norway remained in the European qualifying zone.
Hegna retired in 1981, only returning for a single dead rubber match in 1983
, and in the seven years of one single European qualifying zone Norway only defeated Portugal on the tennis court, in 1984
.
In 1986
Norway became the first European nation to lose to Nigeria
, falling 0–5 in Lagos
, and they were also the first European nation to lose to Senegal
the following year. Three players debuted against Senegal; Bent Ove Pedersen and Audun Jensen lost the doubles match, while Anders Håseth played singles with one win and one loss.
As a result of the defeat to Senegal, Norway were assigned to Group Two of the Europe/Africa Zone when this was instituted in 1988
. Norway reached the semi-final, losing to Ireland
on grass in Belfast
. The five-set doubles match became crucial, where Matt Doyle and Peter Wright won 6–4 in the final set, and Ireland went on to promote to Group One.
, who along with Pedersen would form the basis of the team in the 1990s. The following year Norway reached a promotion play-off to Poland
, where they lost after Ruud and Pedersen failed to win any singles matches, though Anders Rolfsen won a doubles match as part of a streak of six successive doubles match wins before he and Pedersen lost in straight sets to Poland in the 1992
relegation play-off, which Norway still won. The streak was part of Norway's 13–2 season in the 1991 Davis Cup
, where they promoted from Division One after defeating Luxembourg in the play-off, but they lost to Finland in their first Group One match in 1992 and needed the play-off to survive.
A similar story unfolded in the 1993
season; brothers Byron
and Wayne Black
from Zimbabwe swept through 4–1 in Riksanlegget for tennis at Hasle
, with only Pedersen winning a match, and Norway required a win in Helsinki. Ruud came up with a straight sets win over Tuomas Ketola
as Norway got revenge for their 1992 defeat, won 3–2, and survived for another year.
The 1994 Davis Cup
saw Ruud win both his singles matches, including a five-setter against world No. 6 Goran Ivanišević
. However, Ruud and Pedersen couldn't win the doubles match, and the number two singles players weren't good enough against Ivanišević and Saša Hiršzon (world No. 250).
In 1995
Norway won their first round tie for the first time in four attempts; against Israel
, newly relegated from the World Group, Ruud defeated Eyal Ran and Gilad Bloom, both top-200 players. The win qualified Norway for a World Group play-off match with Belgium, but Dick Norman
and Johan Van Herck were too strong, and won 5–0 at Hasle, only conceding one set.
Norway were relegated the following year, as world No. 31 Andrei Medvedev
won both singles matches and Ukraine
took a 4–1 win in Kiev
. They spent the following years promoting and relegating alternatively; a play-off win over Portugal in Oporto was followed by defeats to Romania
and Croatia, in a match 19-year-old Ivan Ljubičić
won all three matches and sent Norway down into Group Two.
Norway lost the services of Ruud after 31 wins, the highest number by a Norwegian. Stian Boretti and Jan Frode Andersen nevertheless went through the 2002 season
with wins over Egypt, Denmark and Ivory Coast, and Norway entered Group One for the sixth and thus far last time.
They were outmatched at that level, however. Andersen and Boretti nearly defeated Jürgen Melzer
and Alexander Peya
, who would five months later reach the final of the Austrian Open doubles tournament, at home in the first round match in February, coming back from two sets down to take it into a fifth, and Norway faced matches with Finland and Luxembourg to survive in Group One. However, the task was too much against top-200 players Jarkko Nieminen
(Finland) and Gilles Müller
(Luxembourg), and Norway were relegated.
From 2004 until 2006, Andersen and Boretti were the mainstay of the team, with only Boretti missing one match. Norway played eight matches during their four-year stay in Group Two, achieving a 3–5 record with wins over Ukraine, Monaco (in first of two relegation play-offs) and Zimbabwe. Boretti had to retire from a 2006
tie in Macedonia, where Norway were 1–2 down before the final day's singles matches, and Erling Tveit took Lazar Magdincev into a fifth set. Magdincev won 6–2, however, leaving the final match redundant as Norway failed to make the promotion play-off, which Macedonia later won. When Andersen retired before 2007
, it prompted a historically poor performance from Norway, as they lost to Hungary
at home before Lamine Ouahab
of Algeria
won his three matches and sent Norway down into Group Three of the Europe/Africa zone for the first time.
, hosted in Armenia. Despite Boretti winning all his singles matches, Norway lost two rubbers, to Moldova
and to Lithuania
, the latter after 6–8 in the tie-breaker in the final doubles match. Norway thus finished third, just outside the promotion spot to Group Two.
On clay in Tunisia during the 2009 tournament
, however, Norway had managed to secure the services of Erling Tveit, which helped to strengthen the side and secure promotion. Boretti and Tveit did nearly all the work, playing five singles and four doubles ties each, and despite a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Norway won the final two matches over Tunisia
and Morocco
to secure promotion. It was Norway's first Davis Cup win over Morocco in three attempts, and both Moroccans were top 500 ATP players. Boretti won by only dropping a game and Tveit won 6–1 in the final set of the three-set encounters.
However, Norway dropped straight back after losses to Slovenia
and Monaco
; the latter team had no players in the top 400, but Norway still only won one set in the decisive three matches, and fell 0–5. In Group III the following year, Norway still fielded a team of Boretti and Tveit, though both players had now retired from the challenger tour. Norway's promotion hopes stopped one match before the play-off, losing to Turkey, who later promoted and had also been relegated from division II the previous year, after a final-set tie-break in the doubles match.
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
competition and are governed by the Norges Tennisforbund.
Unlike neighbours Sweden
Sweden Davis Cup team
The Sweden Davis Cup team represents Sweden in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Svenska Tennisförbundet.Sweden is the 5th most successful nation, winning the title 7 times...
, Norway have never been a tennis powerhouse. They currently compete in Group Two of the Europe/Africa Zone and have never qualified for the World Group, though they reached the World Group Play-offs in 1995
1995 Davis Cup
The 1995 Davis Cup was the 84th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 115 nations participated in the tournament...
.
Before World War II (1928–39)
Norway competed in its first Davis Cup in 19281928 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1928 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 23rd edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. 26 teams would enter the Europe Zone, while 6 would enter the America Zone....
, with Torleif Torkildsen taking Norway's first win, at home in a 1–4 defeat to Hungary
Hungary Davis Cup team
The Hungary Davis Cup team represents Hungary in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Hungarian Tennis Association.-Current team:*Attila Balázs*György Balázs*Kornél Bardóczky*Márton Fucsovics*Sebő Kiss*Ádám Kellner...
. Torkildsen was a main feature of Norway's side in the early seasons, with a 1–9 record between 1928
1928 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1928 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 23rd edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. 26 teams would enter the Europe Zone, while 6 would enter the America Zone....
and 1932
1932 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1932 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 27th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. 22 teams would enter the Europe Zone; while 8 would enter the Americas Zone, 5 in North America and 3 in South America....
.
Norway were relegated to the qualifying rounds after 1933
1933 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1933 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 28th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. 24 teams would enter the Europe Zone; while 9 would enter the Americas Zone, 4 in North America and 5 in South America...
, but turned out their best result the following year, losing 2–3 in their third meeting with Hungary
Hungary Davis Cup team
The Hungary Davis Cup team represents Hungary in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Hungarian Tennis Association.-Current team:*Attila Balázs*György Balázs*Kornél Bardóczky*Márton Fucsovics*Sebő Kiss*Ádám Kellner...
. Finn-Trygve Smith gave away a two-set lead in the first rubber, but Emil Gabori defeated Smith in the final rubber to win the game for Hungary. This also marked Johan Haanes
Johan Haanes
Johan Clausen Haanes was a Norwegian tennis player, ski jumper, bandy player and track and field athlete. He was among Norway's best tennis players of all time.-Early and personal life:...
' Davis Cup debut; Haanes registered a 6–23 record in a 17-year career interrupted by World War II, and only three Norwegian wins during his career was not due to Haanes.
Norway did not enter in 1935
1935 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1935 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 30th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. Due to increased political tensions in Europe, entries for the Europe Zone declined sharply, causing the Qualifying Round system to be scrapped...
, but returned in 1936
1936 International Lawn Tennis Challenge
The 1936 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 31st edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. Argentina was the only South American team to enter, so the South American Zone was abandoned, and the Americas played as one Zone...
with another 2–3 result against 1933 quarter-finalists Belgium
Belgium Davis Cup team
The Belgium Davis Cup team represents Belgium in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Royal Belgian Tennis Federation.Belgium finished as runner-up in 1904.Belgium returned to the World Group in 2007 after 3 years absence.-Current team:...
at home. André Lacroix
André Lacroix (tennis)
André Lacroix was a Belgian tennis player.Lacroix participated in several Wimbledon tournaments during the 1920s and 1930s. He also played for Belgium in Davis Cup several times, including against Sweden in 1934 and 1937, and Norway in 1936....
won all his three games for Belgium and prevented Norway's first tie victory.
The advances were temporary. Norway lost 15 successive rubbers up to 1939, and though they advanced to the quarter-final in 1939, that was only due to a forfeit from the invaded Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia Davis Cup team
The Czechoslovakia Davis Cup team competed from 1921-1992, winning the tournament once, in 1980. From 1993, the nations competed as:*Czech Republic Davis Cup team *Slovakia Davis Cup team...
.
Never beyond the second round (1947–1972)
Norway did not enter the first Davis Cup after the war, but in 19471947 Davis Cup
The 1947 Davis Cup was the 36th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 22 teams would enter the competition, 20 in the Europe Zone, and 2 in the Americas Zone....
Norway nearly eliminated New Zealand
New Zealand Davis Cup team
The New Zealand Davis Cup team represents New Zealand in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis New Zealand.New Zealand currently compete in the Asia/Oceania Zone of Group II. They have played in the World Group on 8 occasions, the most recent of which was in 1991. They reached...
in their first ever match for eight years. Haanes and Jan Staubo
Jan Staubo
Jan Staubo was a Norwegian sportsman, politician and sports official. As a sportsman he competed internationally in tennis and nationally in other sports...
both won a singles match each, but New Zealand turned the tables after four- and five-set victories in the final singles matches.
Haanes continued good form the following season, defeating Geoffrey Paish
Geoffrey Paish
Geoffrey Paish MBE was a noted tennis player and administrator. Paish was born in Croydon, Surrey and educated at Mid-Whitgift School in Croydon....
as Norway went down 1–4 to a Great Britain
Great Britain Davis Cup team
The Great Britain Davis Cup team represents the United Kingdom in Davis Cup tennis competition and is controlled by the Lawn Tennis Association. The United Kingdom played in the very first International Lawn Tennis Challenge...
which would reach the semi-finals. Successive 0–5 defeats to a Lennart Bergelin
Lennart Bergelin
Lennart Bergelin was a Swedish tennis player and coach. As a player, for AIK, Bergelin won nine Swedish championship singles titles between 1945 and 1955, and the French Open doubles title in 1948. Bergelin is best known for his work with Björn Borg, whom he trained between 1971 and 1983, helping...
-led Sweden team followed, before Johan Haanes won his final Davis Cup game in 1951
1951 Davis Cup
The 1951 Davis Cup was the 40th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 26 teams would enter the competition, 21 in the Europe Zone, and 5 in the Americas Zone...
. Adly El-Shafei won all his three games, though, and Egypt eliminated Norway.
In 1953
1953 Davis Cup
The 1953 Davis Cup was the 42nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 29 teams would enter the competition, 22 in the Europe Zone, 6 in the Americas Zone, and India alone in the Eastern Zone....
, Norway achieved their first victory, with Nils-Erik Hessen, Rolf Pape and Finn Søhol defeating Luxembourg
Luxembourg Davis Cup team
The Luxembourg Davis Cup team represents Luxembourg in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Luxembourg Tennis Federation.Luxembourg currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II...
in Mondorf-les-Bains
Mondorf-les-Bains
Mondorf-les-Bains is a commune and town in south-eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Remich, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. Mondorf-les-Bains is a spa town , and has the only casino in Luxembourg....
. All were mainstays in the side throughout the 1950s, and featured in Norway's 1954
1954 Davis Cup
The 1954 Davis Cup was the 43rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The Eastern Zone was abandoned for this year, and India moved to the Europe Zone...
win over Finland
Finland Davis Cup team
The Finland Davis Cup team represents Finland in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Suomen Tennisliitto.Finland currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group I. They have reached the World Group Play-offs three times. In 1999, they came within one set of...
(3–2). Søhol also helped Norway defeat Israel
Israel Davis Cup team
The Israel Davis Cup team represents Israel in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Israel Tennis Association....
by 4–1 in the 1956 tournament
1956 Davis Cup
The 1956 Davis Cup was the 45th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 32 teams would enter the competition, 24 in the Europe Zone, 5 in the Americas Zone, and 3 in the Eastern Zone....
, which also gave the first win for Gunnar Sjøwall. However, five defeats followed, and it was not until Norway drew Portugal
Portugal Davis Cup team
The Portugal Davis Cup team represents Portugal in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Federação Portuguesa de Ténis.Portugal currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They have never played in the World Group, but reached the Play-offs in 1994.-History:Portugal...
in 1963
1963 Davis Cup
The 1963 Davis Cup was the 52nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 44 teams would enter the competition, 28 in the Europe Zone, 9 in the Eastern Zone, and 7 in the Americas Zone....
and 1964
1964 Davis Cup
The 1964 Davis Cup was the 53rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 48 teams would enter the competition, 32 in the Europe Zone, 9 in the Eastern Zone, and 7 in the Americas Zone....
that they managed to win again. Norway went 9–1 on aggregate in these two clashes, with Søhol the only loser, and in the 1963 second round tie against Denmark
Denmark Davis Cup team
The Denmark Davis Cup team represents Denmark in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Danish Tennis Association.Denmark currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They competed in the World Group from 1988 to 1989 and again from 1993 to 1996...
Sjøwall defeated Jørgen Ulrich, a player who had reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
on two occasions. An 18-year-old Per Hegna also participated; he lost all his three games and didn't participate in the Davis Cup for ten years, but was to become a key player for Norway later.
Following the wins over Portugal, Norway struggled once more. They did manage a 4–1 win over Luxembourg in 1968
1968 Davis Cup
The 1968 Davis Cup was the 57th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 49 teams would enter the competition, 32 in the Europe Zone, 9 in the Americas Zone, and 8 in the Eastern Zone....
, with Fridtjof Prydz (4 wins, 11 losses) winning both singles matches; doubles specialist Erik Melander (5 wins, 8 losses) had debuted the previous year in France
France Davis Cup team
The France Davis Cup team represents France in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis.France is the third most successful nation, with 9 wins...
, and the doubles team of Melander and Prydz got Norway's only win in the 1–4 loss to Israel in the 1971
1971 Davis Cup
The 1971 Davis Cup was the 60th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 50 teams would enter the competition, 28 in the Europe Zone, 13 in the Americas Zone, and 9 in the Eastern Zone....
. Prydz and Jon-Erik Ross (2 wins, 11 losses) also defeated Egypt
Egypt Davis Cup team
The Egypt Davis Cup team represents Egypt in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Egyptian Tennis Federation.Egypt currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group III. They reached the semifinals of Group I in 1982 and 1985.-History:...
's doubles team in 1970.
First quarterfinal, and 80s struggles (1973–1988)
In 19731973 Davis Cup
The 1973 Davis Cup was the 62nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 53 teams would enter the competition, 31 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Americas Zone, and 10 in the Eastern Zone....
Norway had to play preliminary qualifying matches for the first time since 1934. Hegna returned to Davis Cup play, and on an indoor court in Dublin Hegna, Melander, Finn-Dag Jagge and Thorvald Moe swept Ireland
Ireland Davis Cup team
The Ireland Davis Cup team represents the whole of Ireland in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Ireland. Ireland competed in its first Davis Cup in 1923.Ireland currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II...
aside by 5–0 (though Melander and Moe had to play a 42-game set in the doubles match), and received a home first round clash with Denmark, where Hegna won both his singles matches and Norway eked out a 3–2 win. Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1939, where they failed to win a set in France
France Davis Cup team
The France Davis Cup team represents France in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis.France is the third most successful nation, with 9 wins...
and lost 30–92 in games. Hegna and Melander faced François Jauffret
François Jauffret
François Jauffret is a retired professional tennis player from France. He holds the record for most ties played for the France Davis Cup team with 35, between 1964 and 1978....
and Patrick Proisy
Patrick Proisy
Patrick Proisy is a French former professional tennis player best remembered for reaching the finals of the French Open in 1972 losing against Spaniard Andrés Gimeno in four sets. He added to that one more final and a single title in Hilversum, 1977.-Runner-ups :-References:...
, who had both reached the last four at Roland Garros
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
and at the time both were ranked in the top 40, in the singles matches.
Nevertheless, Norway were not qualified for the main draw in the European Zone in 1974
1974 Davis Cup
The 1974 Davis Cup was the 63rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 56 teams would enter the competition, 33 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Americas Zone, and 11 in the Eastern Zone....
, and after Hegna and Thorvald Moe secured a 4–1 win over Iran
Iran Davis Cup team
The Iran Davis Cup team represents Iran in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Tennis Federation of Iran.Iran currently compete in the Asia/Oceania Zone of Group II. They have reached the Group II finals twice.-Team:*Anousha Shahgholi...
they required to beat Spain in a play-off in Barcelona. Norway performed even worse than against France the previous year, winning only 26 of 116 games.
Then followed five preliminary round losses, with only Hegna able to secure solitary match wins in ties with Morocco
Morocco Davis Cup team
The Morocco Davis Cup team represents Morocco in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Royal Moroccan Tennis Federation.-History:...
and Netherlands
Netherlands Davis Cup team
The Netherlands Davis Cup team represents the Netherlands in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Federation.The Netherlands currently competes in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I...
. Hegna also won all three of his matches as Norway beat Turkey
Turkey Davis Cup team
The Turkey Davis Cup team represents Turkey in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Turkiye Tenis Federasyonu.Turkey currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group III. They have reached the Group II semifinals on two occasions....
in 1980
1980 Davis Cup
The 1980 Davis Cup was the 69th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 52 teams would enter the competition, 30 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Americas Zone, and 10 in the Eastern Zone....
, but in the final qualifier against West Germany Norway won 18 games in four matches. Norway were thus two wins away for qualifying for the modern-day World Group, which was instituted in 1981
1981 Davis Cup
The 1981 Davis Cup was the 70th edition of the tournament between national teams in men's tennis. This was the first year that the tournament moved to a tiered system, with the creation of the 16-team World Group...
. Instead, Norway remained in the European qualifying zone.
Hegna retired in 1981, only returning for a single dead rubber match in 1983
1983 Davis Cup
The 1983 Davis Cup was the 72nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 59 teams would enter the competition, 16 in the World Group, 25 in the Europe Zone, 10 in the Eastern Zone, and 8 in the Americas Zone...
, and in the seven years of one single European qualifying zone Norway only defeated Portugal on the tennis court, in 1984
1984 Davis Cup
The 1984 Davis Cup was the 73rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 62 teams would enter the competition, 16 in the World Group, 25 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Eastern Zone, and 9 in the Americas Zone...
.
In 1986
1986 Davis Cup
The 1986 Davis Cup was the 75th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The Africa Zone was added for this year, effectively as a qualifying tournament for the European Zones...
Norway became the first European nation to lose to Nigeria
Nigeria Davis Cup team
The Nigeria Davis Cup team represents Nigeria in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Nigeria Tennis Federation.Nigeria currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They reached the Group I semifinals in 1988 and 1989...
, falling 0–5 in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, and they were also the first European nation to lose to Senegal
Senegal Davis Cup team
The Senegal Davis Cup team represents Senegal in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Senegalaise de Tennis.Senegal currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group IV. They reached the Group I semifinals in 1988....
the following year. Three players debuted against Senegal; Bent Ove Pedersen and Audun Jensen lost the doubles match, while Anders Håseth played singles with one win and one loss.
As a result of the defeat to Senegal, Norway were assigned to Group Two of the Europe/Africa Zone when this was instituted in 1988
1988 Davis Cup
The 1988 Davis Cup was the 77th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. For the first time, the Zones were divided into two groups, with promotion and relegation between the two. The Eastern Zone was also renamed the Asia/Oceania Zone. A total of 74...
. Norway reached the semi-final, losing to Ireland
Ireland Davis Cup team
The Ireland Davis Cup team represents the whole of Ireland in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Ireland. Ireland competed in its first Davis Cup in 1923.Ireland currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II...
on grass in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. The five-set doubles match became crucial, where Matt Doyle and Peter Wright won 6–4 in the final set, and Ireland went on to promote to Group One.
Ruud era (1989–2000)
Still in Group Two, Norway lost 2–3 to Luxembourg in 1989, the debut match of 16-year-old Christian RuudChristian Ruud
Christian Ruud is a former tennis player who turned professional in 1991. Ruud reached his highest singles ranking of 39 on 9 October 1995....
, who along with Pedersen would form the basis of the team in the 1990s. The following year Norway reached a promotion play-off to Poland
Poland Davis Cup team
The Poland Davis Cup team represents Poland in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Polski Związek Tenisowy.Poland currently competes in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I. They lost first round match to Finland...
, where they lost after Ruud and Pedersen failed to win any singles matches, though Anders Rolfsen won a doubles match as part of a streak of six successive doubles match wins before he and Pedersen lost in straight sets to Poland in the 1992
1992 Davis Cup
The 1992 Davis Cup was the 81st edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Due to increased entries, the tournament was expanded to add a Group III in all zones, with promotion and relegation between it and Group II. A total of 92 nations participated in the...
relegation play-off, which Norway still won. The streak was part of Norway's 13–2 season in the 1991 Davis Cup
1991 Davis Cup
The 1991 Davis Cup was the 80th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A total of 87 nations participated in the tournament. In the final, France defeated the United States at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon, France, on 29 November - 1 December....
, where they promoted from Division One after defeating Luxembourg in the play-off, but they lost to Finland in their first Group One match in 1992 and needed the play-off to survive.
A similar story unfolded in the 1993
1993 Davis Cup
The 1993 Davis Cup was the 82nd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A total of 100 nations participated in the tournament...
season; brothers Byron
Byron Black
Byron Black is a former touring professional tennis and Davis Cup player for Zimbabwe.- Biography :He is the brother of Cara and Wayne Black, both professional tennis players...
and Wayne Black
Wayne Black
Wayne Hamilton Black is a former professional male tennis player from Zimbabwe.Black is the son of Don and Velia Black and the brother of Cara Black and Byron Black, also professional tennis players. He attended the University of Southern California and was an All-American in singles and doubles...
from Zimbabwe swept through 4–1 in Riksanlegget for tennis at Hasle
Hasle (station)
Hasle is a station on the Oslo Metro system located in the Grünerløkka borough between Carl Berners plass and Økern. It is the first outdoor station on Grorud Line after the downtown tunnel. After completion the of the Ring Line in 2006, Hasle is the first station on the Grorud Line not shared with...
, with only Pedersen winning a match, and Norway required a win in Helsinki. Ruud came up with a straight sets win over Tuomas Ketola
Tuomas Ketola
Tuomas Ketola is a Finnish former professional tennis player on the ATP Tour.Ketola was the number two tennis player in Finland behind Jarkko Nieminen and as of April 14, 2006 is the 716th ranked player in the world. In 2004, he reached the first round of Wimbledon in singles by defeating three...
as Norway got revenge for their 1992 defeat, won 3–2, and survived for another year.
The 1994 Davis Cup
1994 Davis Cup
The 1994 Davis Cup was the 83rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A total of 109 nations participated in the tournament...
saw Ruud win both his singles matches, including a five-setter against world No. 6 Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
. However, Ruud and Pedersen couldn't win the doubles match, and the number two singles players weren't good enough against Ivanišević and Saša Hiršzon (world No. 250).
In 1995
1995 Davis Cup
The 1995 Davis Cup was the 84th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 115 nations participated in the tournament...
Norway won their first round tie for the first time in four attempts; against Israel
Israel Davis Cup team
The Israel Davis Cup team represents Israel in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Israel Tennis Association....
, newly relegated from the World Group, Ruud defeated Eyal Ran and Gilad Bloom, both top-200 players. The win qualified Norway for a World Group play-off match with Belgium, but Dick Norman
Dick Norman
Dick Norman is a professional tennis player. He has achieved a degree of folk popularity among tennis fans due to his height , his left-handed power game and, in the last few years, his age .Turning professional in 1991, Norman notched up only his 14th Grand Slam...
and Johan Van Herck were too strong, and won 5–0 at Hasle, only conceding one set.
Norway were relegated the following year, as world No. 31 Andrei Medvedev
Andrei Medvedev
Andriy Medvedev , is a former professional tennis player from Ukraine. Medvedev made a splash on the international tennis scene when, as a 17-year-old, he won titles in Genoa and Stuttgart...
won both singles matches and Ukraine
Ukraine Davis Cup team
The Ukraine Davis Cup team represents Ukraine in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Ukrainian Tennis Federation.-History:Ukraine competed in its first Davis Cup in 1993. Ukraine currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They have reached the Group I quarter-finals...
took a 4–1 win in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. They spent the following years promoting and relegating alternatively; a play-off win over Portugal in Oporto was followed by defeats to Romania
Romania Davis Cup team
The Romania Davis Cup team represents Romania in Davis Cup tennis competition , being governed by the Romanian Tennis Federation and currently competes in the 2011 Davis Cup World Group.Romania has finished as runners-up three times...
and Croatia, in a match 19-year-old Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
won all three matches and sent Norway down into Group Two.
Up and down with Andersen/Boretti (2000–07)
It took a further four years to be promoted to Group One again, as after the 3–2 win over IsraelIsrael Davis Cup team
The Israel Davis Cup team represents Israel in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Israel Tennis Association....
Norway lost the services of Ruud after 31 wins, the highest number by a Norwegian. Stian Boretti and Jan Frode Andersen nevertheless went through the 2002 season
2002 Davis Cup
The 2002 Davis Cup was the 91st edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 130 nations participated in the tournament...
with wins over Egypt, Denmark and Ivory Coast, and Norway entered Group One for the sixth and thus far last time.
They were outmatched at that level, however. Andersen and Boretti nearly defeated Jürgen Melzer
Jürgen Melzer
Jürgen Melzer is an Austrian tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking of no. 8 on 18 April 2011, and a doubles ranking of no. 6 on 13 September 2010. He is the only current player on the ATP Tour to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles. He is a left-handed tennis player, but...
and Alexander Peya
Alexander Peya
Alexander Peya is an Austrian male tennis player. He reached a career high singles ranking of No. 92 on April 30, 2007. His career high doubles ranking was No. 48 on January 15, 2007. He was born in Vienna, Austria, and currently resides there.In September 2008 Peya helped Austria to a Davis Cup...
, who would five months later reach the final of the Austrian Open doubles tournament, at home in the first round match in February, coming back from two sets down to take it into a fifth, and Norway faced matches with Finland and Luxembourg to survive in Group One. However, the task was too much against top-200 players Jarkko Nieminen
Jarkko Nieminen
Jarkko Kalervo Nieminen is a professional tennis player from Finland.His highest ranking is 13th, which was achieved on July 10, 2006. He has won one ATP singles title and two doubles titles in his career so far. His best performances in Grand Slam tournaments have been reaching the quarter-finals...
(Finland) and Gilles Müller
Gilles Müller
Gilles Müller is a Luxembourgish professional tennis player. He was a US Open junior champion and is the most successful male tennis player in the history of his country...
(Luxembourg), and Norway were relegated.
From 2004 until 2006, Andersen and Boretti were the mainstay of the team, with only Boretti missing one match. Norway played eight matches during their four-year stay in Group Two, achieving a 3–5 record with wins over Ukraine, Monaco (in first of two relegation play-offs) and Zimbabwe. Boretti had to retire from a 2006
2006 Davis Cup
The 2006 Davis Cup was the 95th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and 125 participated in total...
tie in Macedonia, where Norway were 1–2 down before the final day's singles matches, and Erling Tveit took Lazar Magdincev into a fifth set. Magdincev won 6–2, however, leaving the final match redundant as Norway failed to make the promotion play-off, which Macedonia later won. When Andersen retired before 2007
2007 Davis Cup
The 2007 Davis Cup was the 96th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and 123 took part in different regional groups...
, it prompted a historically poor performance from Norway, as they lost to Hungary
Hungary Davis Cup team
The Hungary Davis Cup team represents Hungary in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Hungarian Tennis Association.-Current team:*Attila Balázs*György Balázs*Kornél Bardóczky*Márton Fucsovics*Sebő Kiss*Ádám Kellner...
at home before Lamine Ouahab
Lamine Ouahab
Lamine Ouahab is a professional Algerian tennis player.-Career:Ouahab turned professional in 2004, when he got a wild card into the Olympics main draw....
of Algeria
Algeria Davis Cup team
The Algeria Davis Cup team represents Algeria in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Algerienne de Tennis.Algeria currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They have reached the Group II quarterfinals each of the last three years....
won his three matches and sent Norway down into Group Three of the Europe/Africa zone for the first time.
Among the weakest teams in Europe (2008–11)
Norway began their life in the zone's second lowest tier at the 2008 tournament2008 Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone
The Europe/Africa Zone is one of three zones of regional Davis Cup competition in 2008.-Group I:-Group II:-Venue 1:*Venue: Tennis Club Lokomotiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria *Date: 9-13 April*Withdrawn: Botswana and Nigeria...
, hosted in Armenia. Despite Boretti winning all his singles matches, Norway lost two rubbers, to Moldova
Moldova Davis Cup team
The Moldova Davis Cup team represents Moldova in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Moldova Republic Tennis Federation.Moldova currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group III. They won Group III in 2000.-History:...
and to Lithuania
Lithuania Davis Cup team
The Lithuania Davis Cup team represents Lithuania in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Lithuanian Tennis Association.Lithuania has never been a tennis country - no tennis player from Lithuania entered ATP top 500 until 2007. However, the situation is changing in recent years...
, the latter after 6–8 in the tie-breaker in the final doubles match. Norway thus finished third, just outside the promotion spot to Group Two.
On clay in Tunisia during the 2009 tournament
2009 Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group III
The European and African Zone is one of the three zones of regional Davis Cup competition in 2009.In the European and African Zone there are four different groups in which teams compete against each other to advance to the next group.-Format:...
, however, Norway had managed to secure the services of Erling Tveit, which helped to strengthen the side and secure promotion. Boretti and Tveit did nearly all the work, playing five singles and four doubles ties each, and despite a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina Davis Cup team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Davis Cup team represents Bosnia and Herzegovina in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Tennis Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Bosnia and Herzegovina was promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in April 2009...
, Norway won the final two matches over Tunisia
Tunisia Davis Cup team
The Tunisia Davis Cup team represents Tunisia in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Tunisienne de Tennis.Tunisia currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group III. They have competed in Group II on three occasions....
and Morocco
Morocco Davis Cup team
The Morocco Davis Cup team represents Morocco in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Royal Moroccan Tennis Federation.-History:...
to secure promotion. It was Norway's first Davis Cup win over Morocco in three attempts, and both Moroccans were top 500 ATP players. Boretti won by only dropping a game and Tveit won 6–1 in the final set of the three-set encounters.
However, Norway dropped straight back after losses to Slovenia
Slovenia Davis Cup team
The Slovenia Davis Cup team represents Slovenia in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Slovenian Tennis Association.Slovenia currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II...
and Monaco
Monaco Davis Cup team
The Monaco Davis Cup team represents Monaco in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Monegasque de Lawn Tennis.Monaco currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II. They reached European Zone semifinals in 1972.-History:...
; the latter team had no players in the top 400, but Norway still only won one set in the decisive three matches, and fell 0–5. In Group III the following year, Norway still fielded a team of Boretti and Tveit, though both players had now retired from the challenger tour. Norway's promotion hopes stopped one match before the play-off, losing to Turkey, who later promoted and had also been relegated from division II the previous year, after a final-set tie-break in the doubles match.
Davis Cup players
Those with more than 15 matches or 7 ties for Norway are listed. The table is correct as of 3 July 2011.| Name | Total | Singles | Career | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Pct | Won | Lost | Pct | ||
| Christian Ruud Christian Ruud Christian Ruud is a former tennis player who turned professional in 1991. Ruud reached his highest singles ranking of 39 on 9 October 1995.... |
31 | 23 | .574 | 24 | 15 | .615 | 1989–2000 |
| Jan Frode Andersen Jan Frode Andersen Jan Frode Andersen is a Norwegian tennis player. He played tennis for Norway, including competing in at least 60 countries over a span of 8 years after turning professional in 1997. He represented Norway in the Davis Cup for 10 consecutive years compiling a 30-22 record . His highest ATP ranking... |
30 | 23 | .566 | 25 | 14 | .641 | 1996–2006 |
| Stian Boretti | 29 | 33 | .468 | 20 | 18 | .526 | 2000– |
| Bent-Ove Pedersen Bent-Ove Pedersen Bent-Ove Pedersen is a former tennis player from Norway, who turned professional in 1992. The right-hander represented his native country in the doubles competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he partnered Christian Ruud. The pair was defeated in the first round by South... |
22 | 13 | .628 | 14 | 6 | .700 | 1987–1996 |
| Per Hegna | 15 | 25 | .375 | 12 | 19 | .387 | 1962–1983 |
| Erling Tveit | 11 | 13 | .459 | 6 | 8 | .429 | 2003– |
| Finn Søhol | 9 | 7 | .563 | 9 | 5 | .643 | 1953–1964 |
| Anders Håseth | 9 | 7 | .563 | 9 | 7 | .563 | 1987–1994 |
| Helge Koll Frafjord | 9 | 19 | .321 | 5 | 12 | .294 | 1993–2004 |
| Gunnar Høst Sjøwall Gunnar Høst Sjøwall Gunnar Høst Sjøwall is a Norwegian portrait photographer and former competitive tennis player.-Early life and education:Gunnar Host Sjowall was born in 1936 in xxxx, the son of Gunnar Theodor Sjowall, a photographer, and his wife xxxx... |
8 | 18 | .308 | 7 | 12 | .368 | 1955–1966 |
| Anders Rolfsen | 6 | 1 | .857 | 0 | 0 | 1990–1992 | |
| Johan Haanes | 6 | 23 | .207 | 5 | 14 | .263 | 1932–1951 |
| Erik Melander | 5 | 8 | .385 | 2 | 5 | .286 | 1967–1973 |
| Thorvald Moe | 5 | 10 | .333 | 2 | 6 | .250 | 1960–1974 |
| John Erik Rustad | 4 | 10 | .286 | 2 | 7 | .222 | 1979–1989 |
| Frithjof Prydz | 4 | 11 | .267 | 2 | 8 | .200 | 1968–1978 |
| Nils Erik Hessen | 3 | 18 | .143 | 1 | 12 | .077 | 1949–1956 |
| Finn Dag Jagge | 3 | 19 | .136 | 1 | 11 | .083 | 1955–1973 |