Great Britain v Croatia - Davis Cup World Group Play-Off
21-23 September 2007

When you consider that Wimbledon is the world's prime tennis location and the Davis Cup is the sport's leading international team competition it is, to say the least, surprising that the two have not spent more time in each other's company.

When Britain tackle Croatia on No.1 Court this weekend in a World Group play-off it will be only the tenth time since the end of World War Two 62 years ago that Davis Cup banners have fluttered inside the manicured acres of the All England Club.

Why has Wimbledon's welcome, while warm, been so infrequent? One reason, of course, is Britain's lowly status at world level. Had there been more people like Fred Perry gracing the British game in those 62 years we would, without doubt, have seen the Davis Cup drop anchor in London SW19 much more frequently.

Two further reasons: in the run-up to The Championships the show courts are strictly out of bounds to all comers and, of course, the British climate precludes outdoor tennis for many of the non-summer months. Perhaps, if we may be permitted to daydream, the arrival of a roof over Centre Court in 2009 will coincide with a resurgence of British fortunes to the benefit of both Wimbledon and the Davis Cup.

In fact, there seems an element of a gamble about this weekend's tie, set as it is at the tail-end of a damp, depressing summer. Fingers crossed, then, for the sort of decent weather which greeted the very first Davis Cup tie at the "old" Wimbledon premises on Worple Road in 1904, enabling Britain to sweep aside Belgium 5-0 in the final, or the challenge round as it was then called.

Thanks to the Doherty brothers, Reggie and Laurie, Britain had beaten the United States in Boston in 1903, the second year of the competition's existence, 1902 having been a blank, and the Dohertys ensured that Britain were winners again at Worple Road in 1905 and 1906, defeating the USA 5-0 on both occasions.

Australasia nudged Britain off the summit in 1907 and by the time Britain next reached the challenge round in 1913 (losing to the United States 3-2) the number of competing nations had mushroomed from the original pair, GB and USA, to eight.

In 1922 came the move from Worple Road to the present Church Road site, but 11 more barren years were to pass before the arrival of Britain's era of glory, the Perry Years. In 1933 Fred, teamed with Bunny Austin, defeated Australia 3-2 on Centre Court in the European Zone final, going on to Paris to overcome the US 4-1 in the Inter-Zone final and then ending the reign of France's famed Musketeers 3-2 in the challenge round.

This success, and Perry's David Beckham-like aura, ignited interest in the sport and the next three years were ones of sell-out crowds and glory for Britain at Wimbledon, with the trophy retained against the United States (twice) and Australia.Then the balloon burst, Perry turned professional and Britain's 4-1 loss to the Americans in the 1937 Challenge Round on Centre Court heralded a bleak 41-year spell before Britain next reached what had long since been called the final, again losing 4-1 to the United States in California.

Wimbledon had renewed acquaintance with the Davis Cup four years after the war's end, in 1949, when Czechoslovakia, led by Jaroslav Drobny, won a Euro Zone tie 4-1. In the Sixties, as Britain finally managed to produce a crop of excellent players - Mike Sangster, Bobby Wilson, Billy Knight and Mark Cox - there were four Davis Cup occasions in nine years at Wimbledon, with victories over Sweden and Brazil and defeats by Italy and Romania at the zonal stages.

After that, the Davis Cup dropped anchor at Wimbledon only once in every decade - 1976, defeated again by Italy, 1986, beaten by Australia and 1996, 5-0 winners over Egypt. Until Croatia's arrival there had been only one tie since 1996, the World Group qualifying round against Ecuador in 2000, when Britain slumped to a 3-2 loss. Written by Ronald Atkin