Challenge Round

The final round, between the defending champion from the previous year and the person, or team, who has won the right to challenge. Now obsolete, because today, both in tournaments and in Davis Cup competition, everybody starts from scratch. But once upon a time and for many years, defending champions, or the defending nation in Davis Cup competition, only had one encounter, which was to try to beat off the survivor who emerged from early-round contests to make the challenge.