# 1997 Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I

The Europe/Africa Zone was one of the three zones of the regional Davis Cup competition in 1997.
In the Europe/Africa Zone there were four different tiers, called groups, in which teams competed against each other to advance to the upper tier. Winners in Group I advanced to the World Group qualifying round, along with losing teams from the World Group first round. Teams who lost in the first round competed in the relegation play-offs, with winning teams remaining in Group I, whereas teams who lost their play-offs were relegated to the Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 1998.

## Participating nations

* Austria
* Belgium
* Croatia
* Denmark
* Great Britain
* Hungary
* Israel
* Morocco
* Slovakia
* Ukraine
* Zimbabwe

### Draw

| Second Round Play-offs | Second Round Play-offs | Second Round Play-offs | First Round Play-offs | First Round Play-offs | First Round Play-offs | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| | | | | | | Belgium | Belgium | | | | |
| | | | | | | Belgium | Belgium | | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) |
| | | | | | | bye | bye | | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) | Brussels, Belgium (clay) |
| | | | bye | bye | | bye | bye | | Belgium | Belgium | 3 |
| | | | bye | bye | | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Belgium | Belgium | 3 |
| | | | Hungary | Hungary | | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Aalborg, Denmark (indoor carpet) | Denmark | Denmark | 2 |
| | | | Hungary | Hungary | | Denmark | Denmark | 5 | Denmark | Denmark | 2 |
| Budapest, Hungary (clay) | Budapest, Hungary (clay) | Budapest, Hungary (clay) | | | | Denmark | Denmark | 5 | | | |
| Budapest, Hungary (clay) | Budapest, Hungary (clay) | Budapest, Hungary (clay) | | | | Hungary | Hungary | 0 | | | |
| Hungary | Hungary | 2 | | | | Hungary | Hungary | 0 | | | |
| Ukraine | Ukraine | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Ukraine | Ukraine | 3 | | | | Great Britain | Great Britain | | | | |
| | | | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | Great Britain | Great Britain | | London, England (indoor carpet) | London, England (indoor carpet) |
| | | | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | Kyiv, Ukraine (clay) | bye | bye | | London, England (indoor carpet) | London, England (indoor carpet) |
| | | | Great Britain | Great Britain | 3 | bye | bye | | Great Britain | Great Britain | 1 |
| | | | Great Britain | Great Britain | 3 | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Great Britain | Great Britain | 1 |
| | | | Ukraine | Ukraine | 2 | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Harare, Zimbabwe (indoor hard) | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 4 |
| | | | Ukraine | Ukraine | 2 | Ukraine | Ukraine | 0 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 4 |
| | | | | | | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 5 | | |
| | | | | | | Israel | Israel | | | |
| | | | | | | Israel | Israel | | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) |
| | | | | | | bye | bye | | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) | Bratislava, Slovakia (clay) |
| | | | Israel | Israel | | bye | bye | | Israel | Israel | 1 |
| | | | bye | bye | | | | | Slovakia | Slovakia | 3 |
| | | | bye | bye | | bye | bye | | Slovakia | Slovakia | 3 |
| | | | | | | Slovakia | Slovakia | | | | |
| Israel | Israel | w/o | | | | Slovakia | Slovakia | | | | |
| Israel | Israel | w/o | | | | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | | | |
| Morocco | Morocco | | | | | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | Osijek, Croatia (indoor carpet) | | | |
| Morocco | Morocco | | | | | Morocco | Morocco | 1 | | | |
| | | | | | | Morocco | Morocco | 1 | Graz, Austria (indoor clay) | Graz, Austria (indoor clay) |
| | | | | | | Croatia | Croatia | 4 | Graz, Austria (indoor clay) | Graz, Austria (indoor clay) |
| | | | Morocco | Morocco | | Croatia | Croatia | 4 | Croatia | Croatia | 2 |
| | | | bye | bye | | | | | Austria | Austria | 3 |
| | | | bye | bye | | bye | bye | | Austria | Austria | 3 |
| | | | | | | Austria | Austria | | | | |
* Hungary and Morocco relegated to Group II in 1998.
* Belgium, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, and Austria advance to World Group qualifying round.

## First round
### Denmark vs. Hungary

| Denmark 5 | Aalborg Stadium, Aalborg, Denmark 7–9 February 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Aalborg Stadium, Aalborg, Denmark 7–9 February 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Hungary 0 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Frederik Fetterlein József Krocskó 6 4 6 2 7 5       2 Kenneth Carlsen Attila Sávolt 6 4 6 4 7$^7$ 6$^3$       3 Kenneth Carlsen / Frederik Fetterlein László Markovits / Attila Sávolt 7$^7$ 6$^4$ 7$^7$ 6$^2$ 6 4       4 Kenneth Carlsen József Krocskó 6 3 6$^5$ 7$^7$ 6 3       5 Frederik Fetterlein Attila Sávolt 5 7 6 3 6 4 ||||

### Zimbabwe vs. Ukraine

| Zimbabwe 5 | City Sports Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe 7–9 February 1997 Hard (indoors) | City Sports Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe 7–9 February 1997 Hard (indoors) | Ukraine 0 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Wayne Black Andriy Medvedev 6 4 6 3 4 6 6 4     2 Byron Black Andrei Rybalko 5 7 6 2 7$^7$ 6$^2$ 6 3     3 Byron Black / Wayne Black Andriy Medvedev / Dimitri Poliakov 6$^8$ 7$^{10}$ 7 5 4 6 6 1 6 4   4 Byron Black Denis Yakimenko 6 4 6 4         5 Wayne Black Andrei Rybalko 7$^7$ 6$^3$ 6 3 ||||

### Croatia vs. Morocco

| Croatia 4 | Zrinjevac Sport Hall, Osijek, Croatia 7–9 February 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Zrinjevac Sport Hall, Osijek, Croatia 7–9 February 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Morocco 1 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Saša Hiršzon Karim Alami 6 4 6 1 6 3       2 Goran Ivanišević Hicham Arazi 6 2 6 2 6$^4$ 7$^7$ 6 2     3 Saša Hiršzon / Goran Ivanišević Karim Alami / Hicham Arazi 6 2 6 3 6 3       4 Goran Ivanišević Karim Alami 6 2 7 5         5 Saša Hiršzon Hicham Arazi 1 6 4 6 ||||

## Second round
### Belgium vs. Denmark

| Belgium 3 | Royal Léopold Club, Brussels, Belgium 4–6 April 1997 Clay | Royal Léopold Club, Brussels, Belgium 4–6 April 1997 Clay | Denmark 2 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Filip Dewulf Kenneth Carlsen 6 4 6 0 6 1       2 Johan Van Herck Frederik Fetterlein 6$^5$ 7$^7$ 6 2 2 6 1 6     3 Filip Dewulf / Libor Pimek Kenneth Carlsen / Frederik Fetterlein 3 6 5 7 6 1 4 6     4 Johan Van Herck Kenneth Carlsen 6 4 6 1 7 5       5 Filip Dewulf Frederik Fetterlein 6 0 6 4 3 6 2 6 6 1 ||||

### Great Britain vs. Zimbabwe

| Great Britain 1 | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London, England 4–6 April 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London, England 4–6 April 1997 Carpet (indoors) | Zimbabwe 4 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Jamie Delgado Wayne Black 6 2 3 6 1 6 3 6     2 Andrew Richardson Byron Black 3 6 6 4 1 6 6 4 6 4   3 Neil Broad / Mark Petchey Byron Black / Wayne Black 6 3 1 6 4 6 7$^8$ 6$^6$ 3 6   4 Jamie Delgado Byron Black 0 6 0 6 2 6       5 Andrew Richardson Wayne Black 3 6 7$^7$ 6$^5$ 6$^2$ 7$^7$ ||||

### Slovakia vs. Israel

| Slovakia 3 | Slovan Kerametal Tennis Club, Bratislava, Slovakia 4–6 April 1997 Clay | Slovan Kerametal Tennis Club, Bratislava, Slovakia 4–6 April 1997 Clay | Israel 1 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Dominik Hrbatý Eyal Ran 6 3 4 6 6 3 6 4     2 Karol Kučera Noam Behr 6 1 6 3 6 0       3 Dominik Hrbatý / Karol Kučera Noam Behr / Eyal Erlich 4 6 6 3 3 6 6$^4$ 7$^7$     4 Karol Kučera Eyal Ran 6 2 6 3 6 2       5 Dominik Hrbatý Noam Behr           not played ||||

### Austria vs. Croatia

| Austria 3 | Liebenauer Stadium, Graz, Austria 4–6 April 1997 Clay (indoors) | Liebenauer Stadium, Graz, Austria 4–6 April 1997 Clay (indoors) | Croatia 2 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Gilbert Schaller Goran Ivanišević 6 3 6 4 6$^3$ 7$^7$ 2 6 3 1  retired 2 Thomas Muster Saša Hiršzon 6 0 6 4 3 6 6 1     3 Thomas Muster / Udo Plamberger Saša Hiršzon / Goran Ivanišević 5 7 2 6 2 6       4 Thomas Muster Goran Ivanišević 7$^7$ 6$^5$ 5 7 7$^7$ 6$^5$ 2 6 5 7   5 Gilbert Schaller Saša Hiršzon 6 3 6 3 7 5 ||||

## First round relegation play-offs
### Ukraine vs. Great Britain

| Ukraine 2 | Nauka Sports Club, Kyiv, Ukraine 11–13 July 1997 Clay | Nauka Sports Club, Kyiv, Ukraine 11–13 July 1997 Clay | Great Britain 3 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Andrei Rybalko Tim Henman 6 3 4 6 3 6 6 4 4 6   2 Andriy Medvedev Greg Rusedski 6 1 6 1 2 6 6 2     3 Andriy Medvedev / Dimitri Poliakov Tim Henman / Greg Rusedski 1 6 4 6 6$^5$ 7$^7$       4 Andriy Medvedev Tim Henman 6$^5$ 7$^7$ 6 3 6 4 6 4     5 Andrei Rybalko Greg Rusedski 5 7 3 6 3 6 ||||

## Second round relegation play-offs
### Hungary vs. Ukraine

| Hungary 2 | Római Tennis Academy, Budapest, Hungary 19–21 September 1997 Clay | Római Tennis Academy, Budapest, Hungary 19–21 September 1997 Clay | Ukraine 3 |
| 1 2 3 4 5 1 Kornél Bardóczky Andriy Medvedev 2 6 2 6 2 6       2 Attila Sávolt Andrei Rybalko 6 4 6 2 2 6 6 2     3 Gergely Kisgyörgy / Attila Sávolt Andriy Medvedev / Dimitri Poliakov 2 6 3 6 1 6       4 Attila Sávolt Andriy Medvedev 1 6 7$^7$ 6$^1$ 3 6 7 5 2 6   5 Kornél Bardóczky Andrei Rybalko 6 0 6 4 ||||