Davis Cup 1927 - India Vs Yugoslavia and Serbia

Karoly sent me this nice card which was issued in Serbia during the Davis Cup Matches between India and Serbia played at NoviSad from 4 to 6 June 2011. The card has A nice postmark of the Davis Cup match at NoviSad. The card also displays the two teams that played against each other in 1927, namely Yugoslavia and India.
In the 2011 edition, the 2013 finalists Serbia avoided relegation with a dramatic 3-2 victory over India. Despite missing a number of their star players, Serbia came out on top against an Indian side blended with experience and youth. Serbia and India were meeting for the first time.

Dusan Lajovic got the Serbs off to a perfect start with a 63 62 75 win over Yuki Bhambri. Filip Krajinovic then upset Somdev Devvarman 61 46 63 62 to give Serbia a 2-0 lead after the opening day's play.

Indian tennis legend Leander Paes then teamed up with Rohan Bopanna to earn a dramatic victory over Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic, coming from two sets down to win 16 67(4) 63 63 86 and keep the tie alive.

Devvarman then defeated Lajovic 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to send the tie to a deciding fifth rubber. In case the tie had not been dramatic enough, the final rubber was played on the following Monday due to rain. It was Krajinovic who proved to be the hero of the day, defeating Bhambri 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to book Serbia's place in the 2015 World Group.

In the 1927 edition of the Davis Cup Tennis Tournament in the Europe Zone, India defeated Yugoslavia 3-0 in the Second Round. The match was played at the Zagreb Tennis Club Courts. India were subsequently beaten by Denmark in the Third Round 5-0 in Copenhagen.  Later in the World Challenge round played at Germantown Cricket Club grass courts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 8–10 September 1927, France beat the USA 3-2, ending a 6 year run by the USA.

Belgrade

My friend Karoly sent me this card of Belgrade, showing a few important sites there. Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Its name translates to White city. The city proper has a population of over 1.2 million; 1.65 million people live within the administrative limits.

One of the most important prehistoric cultures of Europe, the Vinča culture, evolved within the Belgrade area in the 6th millennium BC. In antiquity, Thraco-Dacians inhabited the region, and after 279 BC Celts conquered the city, naming it Singidūn. It was conquered by the Romans during the reign ofAugustus, and awarded city rights in the mid 2nd century. It was settled by the Slavs in the 520s, and changed hands several times between the Byzantine Empire, Frankish Empire, Bulgarian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary before it became the capital of Serbian King Stephen Dragutin (1282–1316). In 1521, Belgrade was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and became the seat of the Sanjak of Smederevo. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Habsburg rule, which saw the destruction of most of the city during the Austro-Ottoman wars. Belgrade was again named the capital of Serbia in 1841. Northern Belgrade remained the southernmost Habsburg post until 1918, when the city was reunited. As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia (in various forms of governments) from its creation in 1918, to its final dissolution in 2006.

Belgrade has a special administrative status within Serbia and it is one of five statistical regions of Serbia. Its metropolitan territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each with its own local council. It covers 3.6% of Serbia's territory, and 22.5% of the country's population lives in the city. The city has been awarded many titles, and the nomination for European Capital of Culture 2020.