Fred Perry and Don Budge: 1930-1939

1930
Tilden decided to make one last attempt at ripping the Cup from French hands. The previous year was meant to be his swansong, but after excellent results by Allison, Lott and Van Ryn, which took them past Canada, Mexico and Italy, he decided he would return.

Tilden accepted to play "against my wishes and despite my better judgement." He produced a superb performance against the 'Bounding Basque' Borotra winning 7-5 in the fourth, previously having turned his ankle the day before.

The Bill Tilden curtain fell as he lost to Cochet by beating him in the second reverse singles on day three. America had lost 4-1 and history shows that 'Big Bill' played 11 Davis Cup Challenge Rounds, losing 5 times: twice to Rene Lacoste and three times to Cochet. He turned professional later that year and signed a movie contract.

1931
Twelve nations entered teams in 1930 one nation mounted a serious challenge against the dominance of France and America. That country was the British Isles. Fred Perry was about to arrive and set his seal on Davis Cup history.

Frank Shields, whose grand-daughter Brooke would later marry Andre Agassi, displays a textbook backhand

Britain played Monaco in the first round, in Plymouth and Perry never looked back, supported by Bunny Austin, Pat Hughes and Charles Kingsley. They got all the way to the Challenge Round for the first time since 1919.

The United States narrowly lost to the British Isles in the semi-final. Frank X. Shields had twisted an ankle at Wimbledon and gave compatriot Sidney Wood a walkover in the Wimbledon final. The first and only walkover final. He was to be rested for the more important Davis Cup battle!

Brugnon was always famed for ending up in a pretty girls lap, when chasing a wide-ball and lost cause. Perry was of the same ilk as Tilden in that he could match any gamesmanship with a hint of his own. With swirling winds around Roland Garros, Perry played Brugnon's trick ending up with a red lipstick mark for his troubles. The LTA weren't amused despite Perry's five set victory.

On the third and final day Austin beat Borotra levelling the tie at 2-2, but Perry against Cochet was powerless as French support saw him win 6-3 in the fourth and the Cup for the fifth consecutive year.

1932
Britain lost the following year to a Jewish player Daniel Prenn in Berlin, Germany, under the watchful eye of Adolf Hitler. A late call on match point - when Perry had been 5-2 up in the fifth - caused Perry to lose the next point, the next point and five more games. Even years later he could not describe why, having hit a clean winning Prenn had been called for a foot fault on his first serve.

Germany beat Italy 5-0 in Milan but lost to USA in Paris, where they unveiled another rival to Tilden's greatness. Ellsworth Vines, was a formidable player, the tall Californian conquered Bunny Austin at Wimbledon, losing only 19 games throughout the tournament. Had he not turned professional two years later, he could have been the very best.

Once again it was a linesman who was to be the scourge of Centre Court, in the Challenge Round. Vines had fallen to pieces against Borotra, but Allison and Van Ryn beat Cochet and Brugnon in the doubles. Allison then should have beaten Borotra in five sets, but a ball that was out, was not called. Vines hit the ball in celebration into the crowd, thinking he had won. The call never came, Allison won one more point and Borotra won 7-5 in the fifth. When Vines won the 'dead' rubber the crowd thought of what might have been. France had retained the Cup 3-1.

1933
Nazi Germany ordered the expulsion of Daniel Prenn from the Davis Cup team. Prenn soon emigrated to England. The International Tennis Federation failed to expel the German team from the competition and with no political sway barring 'warmonger' Winston Churchill, the Nazi decision was allowed to stand.

Sleek and graceful: Fred Perry - in action at Wimbledon in 1933 - the year he helped Britain win the Davis Cup for the first time in 21 years

Germany beat Holland and Egypt, but lost to Japan with the highly talented Jiro Satoh. Britain meanwhile crushed the Czech Republic and when Australia beat Japan in the other Inter-Zone semi-final, it ensured that the 'pommes' would face part of their Commonwealth. Britain won and prepared for the United States in Paris for a place in the Challenge Round.

With Austin wearing the shorts he pioneered, he was crucial to Britain's success and completely outplayed Vines on the opening day 6-1, 6-1, 6-4. The match had captured French imagination and a large crowd attended the Roland Garros final battle to face the French. Austin then beat Allison in four sets.

There was a buoyant mood in the British camp, when French debutant André Merlin, only 19-year's-old, was read out at the official team draw. He was to play as second string to Cochet in the singles. Their confidence grew when Austin beat Merlin in three sets and Perry 6-3 against Cochet in the fifth.

Harry Lee replaced Perry in the doubles, following his blackout in the changing room after the Cochet match. Brugnon and Borotra kept the tie interesting winning the doubles, but when Perry returned on the third day there was only going to be one result.

Cochet, playing his last Davis Cup duel, outwitted the young Austin and won 6-4 in the fifth levelling the tie two-all. It was up to Perry again. The LTA counted on his every shot. As 15,000 fans clamoured and jeered every good shot and bad decision, Perry lost the first set and reached set point twice in the second set, against young Merlin, before some line calling came to Perry's aid.

French flair was dented as Perry's experience a man at the top of his game came through 7-5 in the fourth. Interestingly team captain Roper Barrett, a veteran of the first ever Davis Cup tie, grabbed Perry by the arm, at the change-over at 6-5 and apparently said: "Nice day… big crowd… Look over there in that corner: now there's a good-looking girl. I'll tell you what, win this game and I'll get you a date with her."

Back in Dover after the Parisian celebrations, the British team display the Cup which they won against France at Roland Garros. [l to r] Fred Perry, Bunny Austin, Pat Hughes, Herbert Roper Barrett and Harry Lee

It was the inspiration Perry needed and years later when he wrote his autobiography ingeniously titled: 'My Autobiography' he went to great length's to explain the final match, which won Britain the Cup for the first time since 1912.

1934
Wimbledon had been fantastic, and when Shields of the United States defeated Australia and McGrath in the final round to challenge the British at Wimbledon, the stage was set.

When Perry ricked a muscle in his back, during his five set victory over Sidney Wood, it looked rather ominous. The situation became worse when Pat Hughes and Lee lost to George Lott and Lester Stoefen in the doubles. Perry had been unable to lift himself from his dinner chair the night before. What hope had he in the reverse singles against Shields?

Few opted for the three-pronged racket, but the shorts caught on: Bunny Austin the pioneer

Perry was treated at a surgery in Marble Arch, then whisked back to Wimbledon where he wore two sweaters during the hot July day. He was to beat Shields in one of the longest Davis Cup matches to date, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 15-13. Austin won his singles against Wood and Britain had the Cup.

1935
From Oakland, California, a colossus emerged: Donald Budge, a flame haired, power-puncher who was to create a great name for himself. Beating China and Germany along the way, those who watched him knew he was going to be some player, and so he was, winning the Grand Slam, all four Majors in the same calendar year of 1938.

In the Challenge Round Britain whitewashed the USA team 5-0, Perry's consummate ease at beating the young Budge, was to be the first of many battles between the two.

1936
With nineteen nations entering the competition it was felt that the crowded European Zone Group should be extended to the American Zone, in which Australia for the first time decided to enter.

They found their way through to the Challenge Round, a final, which proved Perry's last and possibly greatest. Leading two-nil after the first day, Britain subsequently lost the doubles when Jack Crawford and Adrian Quist completely outplayed Hughes and Tuckey. Austin then lost to Quist in the reverse singles and it was up to Perry once again to save Britain.

LTA officials gave Perry their opinion, none of it was taken, Perry, was on and off the court very quickly winning 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. The LTA had made very little effort to keep him from turning professional. So when he handed coach and later famed commentator Dan Maskell his rackets as he left the dressing room he went outside onto Centre Court and savoured his experiences one last time. Maskell years later said: "I knew then that he was saying goodbye, it was an emotional moment for Fred and, as you might imagine, for me, too."

1937
Perry and Budge contested the U.S Championships in 1936. Perry won the last of his three consecutive titles, then turned pro. By the time Budge did the same two years later, he had emulated Perry in the amateur ranks.

With one of the greatest backhands the game has ever seen Don Budge would win the ´Grand Slam´ a year later and establish himself as the United States´ greatest player

Germany beat Austria, Belgium, Italy and Czechoslovakia, on the way to their showdown with the Americans and Budge. Hitler once again tried to make his impact known, but failed as America won.

Austin worked wonders for Britain, but America proved too strong and the Cup had been wrestled from Britain and was travelling again, as the U.S won 3-1.

1938
Britain lost in the second round to a Yugoslav team in Zagreb and an era ended. Germany then beat Yugoslavia 3-2, in Berlin, but Australia proved too strong, for them at Germantown Cricket Club, in Philadelphia, when Bromwich and Quist took care of them 5-0, under the leadership of Harry Hopman.

Gambling man Bobby Riggs, who later played Billie Jean King in the 'Battle of the Sexes,' won his match against Quist after Budge had beaten Bromwich. Despite America losing the middle day doubles, Budge, secured America her twelfth Cup, by beating Quist.

Barron Gottfried Von Cramm plotted against Adolf Hitler during the war, but here before he was imprisoned by the Fuhrer, one of Germany´s greatest players is forced into this humilliating position

Having won the 'Grand Slam,' and a Davis Cup in 1938, Budge decided to cash in signing professional forms.

1939
With tensions mounting and war imminent it did not seem to affect the Davis Cup as 26 nations entered. Once again the Australians contested the Challenge Round in Philadelphia - with a young Hopman as mangaer, against the United States.

Australia, were shocked as Riggs beat Bromwich and Parker beat Adrian Quist. It would have been over by the second day, had American captain Walter Pate selected correctly. He blooded untried youth's Jack Kramer and Joe Hunt. Quist and Bromwich won in four sets and kept Australia's hopes alive.

Sir Norman Brookes calmly predicted that Australia would come back from two rubbers to nil down. He was right. Quist practiced and practiced, and played one of the greatest matches of his life when he defeated Wimbledon champion Riggs 6-4 in the fifth. Bromwich completed 'the great escape' by beating Parker 6-0, 6-3, 6-1. The Cup then stayed in New Zealand as it had done in 1914, as the world took care of other business.

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