New Zealand's first taste of the Davis Cup came in 1924 when they lost 4-1 to Czechoslovakia 24 years after the cup was first contested, and won 3-0 by the United States over the British Isles.
Four years after their debut, New Zealand played for a second time, beating Portugal 4-1.
Theyfirst played Australia in 1935, losing 3-0. It was a further 40 years before the second transtasman contest in which the team of Brian Fairlie, Onny Parun, Chris Lewis and Jeff Simpson lost 4-0.
In eight ties with Australia since (between 1976-94), New Zealand have yet to win.
They have had more luck against India.
The first clash, in 1975, with Fairlie, Parun and Simpson, was won 3-1 by New Zealand. They followed that with a 3-2 victory in 1976 when Lewis joined Fairlie, Parun and Russell Simpson for the tie. The two countries met for a third time in 1978. New Zealand were again the victors (4-1) with the same quartet.
The countries met again in 2002 when India won 4-1. They won by the same margin in Kolkata last year after New Zealand had beaten Pakistan 5-0 in the first-round tie played in Hamilton.
Only Mark Nielsen remains from that New Zealand team.
The years from 1900-1971 were heavily weighted in favour of the cupholder.
The cup winners sat out all early rounds playing only in the final or challenge round with the added advantage of playing at home.
The first 10 years were the domain of the United States, the British Isles and Australasia, who won at Wimbledon in 1907 and successfully defended in 1908 (in Melbourne), 1909 (in Sydney) and in 1911 (there was no challenge in 1910) when the tie was staged in Christchurch.
The only other countries to hold the trophy under the challenge round format were France (from 1927-32) and stand-alone Australia at various times from 1939 to 1967.
