On This Day In Tennis History

'On This Day In Tennis History' was written by Randy Walker and published by New Chapter Press, also the publisher of 'The Bud Collins History Of Tennis' and 'The Roger Federer Story: Quest For Perfection'. For more information on the book, go to www.TennisHistoryBook.com

July 31

1932 – In what Hall of Fame journalist and historian Bud Collins calls “The Great Cup Robbery,” France defeats the United States in the Davis Cup Challenge Round for the fifth time in six years as Jean Borotra clinches the Davis Cup for France, erasing a two-sets-to-love deficit, a 3-5 fifth-set deficit and four match points to defeat Wilmer Allison 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5.  Allison holds three match points while leading 5-3 in the fifth set – 40-15 and then with an advantage – but has his serve broken. In the next game, Allison holds another match point on Borotra’s serve. After missing his first serve, Borotra hits a second serve that by all accounts is out – but not called by the linesman. Allison, who did not make a play on the serve, runs to the net to shake hands with Borotra, but stands in disbelief at the non-call. Allison wins only one point in the remainder of the match to lose 7-5 in the fifth set, giving France it’s third point of the series, clinching the Cup.

2005 – Andre Agassi wins his 60th and what ultimately becomes his final ATP singles title, defeating 22-year-old Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 7-5 in 1 hour, 28 minutes to win the Mercedes-Benz Cup in Los Angeles. The title is also the fourth tournament victory at the Los Angeles event for Agassi, who also wins on the campus at UCLA in 1998, 2001 and 2002. “It’s been a dream week for me for sure,” says the 35-year-old Agassi. “I couldn’t have expected to come in here and find my comfort level so early on in the tournament and get better with each match. It’s a great sign.”

1992 – Michael Chang is upset by an upset stomach and is upset in the second round of the Olympic Games in Barcelona losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Brazil’s Jaime Oncins. Chang’s teammate Pete Sampras, however, advances into the third round with a 6-3, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 win over Peru’s Jaime Yzaga

2007 – Austria’s Stefan Koubek saves four match points comes back from a 6-0, 4-0 deficit to defeat Agustin Callieri of Argentina 0-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in the first round of the Orange Prokom Open in Sopot, Poland. Koubek actually overcomes losing 21 straight games over two matches as, entering his match with Callieri, he loses 11 straight games in his 6-4, 6-0 loss to countryman Daniel Koellerer in the first round of Kitzbuehel the previous week. Koubek says he didn’t start to think about his losing streak before losing the first set. Says Koubek, "Sitting down on the changeover for those two minutes I said 'Geez, 6-0 and I lost 11 games in Kitzbuehel, which makes it 17.' I said to myself that it was time to win a game because it's not a record you want to hold. When I finally won a game after losing 21 in a row I put my arms up and made fun of myself. In Kitzbuehel it was, uh, no comment, basically. Losing 11 games in a row and then coming here and losing 10 in a row, which makes 21. I didn't feel too comfortable on the court. I didn't know what to do. I was very unhappy with my game. At 6-0, 5-1 down [against Calleri] I didn't really think I could win the match but I thought it was worth trying. It's a great feeling to have won under those circumstances but a comeback like that is nothing you try to reach in your career."