North Island Open Championships

Last updated
North Island Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
Tour ILTF
ITF
Founded1932;93 years ago (1932)
Abolished1978;47 years ago (1978)
Location Christchurch
Hutt Valley
Hamilton
Lower Hutt
Palmerston North
Wellington Whanganui
VenueVarious
Surface Grass (1934-75)
Hard (1976-78)

The North Island Open Championships was a regional men's and women's grass court then later hard court tennis tournament founded in 1932 as the North Island Championships. [1] The tournament was first played at the Lower Hutt Tennis Club (f.1927), [2] Lower Hutt, Wellington Province, New Zealand. The tournament was played at other locations until 1978 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour. [1]

Contents

History

This tournament has it origins in the Wairarapa Provincial Lawn Tennis Association Championships founded in 1899 and played at the Masterton, Lawn Tennis Club until 1915. [3] In 1934 a nascent Northern Lawn Tennis Association of New Zealand was established (today its known as Tennis Northern) it organised the North Island Championships. [1] The tournament was first played at the Lower Hutt Tennis Club (f.1927), [4] Lower Hutt, Wellington Province, New Zealand. The event was part of ILTF Australasia Circuit (1934–72) a sub circuit of the ILTF World Circuit, then later the ILTF Oceania Circuit a regional circuit of the ILTF Independent Tour from 1975 until 1978 when it was downgraded from the worldwide independent tour it became a local regional event of Tennis New Zealand and is still held today. [1]

The tournament was held in Nelson, but also other locations including,Hutt Valley, Hamilton, Lower Hutt, Palmerston North, Wellington and Whanganui.

The South Island equivalent to this tournament was the South Island Open Championships founded in 1934 by the Southern Lawn Tennis Association. [5]

Finals

Men's singles

(incomplete roll)

North Island Championships
YearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore
1934 [1] Lower Hutt Flag of New Zealand.svg Cam Malfroy Flag of New Zealand.svg Jack Curtis Charters6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1937 [1] Lower Hutt Flag of New Zealand.svg Cam Malfroy (2) Flag of New Zealand.svg Buster Andrews 6–3, 6–4
1957 [1] Wellington Flag of New Zealand.svg Jeff Robson Flag of New Zealand.svg Ron McKenzie 6-1, 5–7, 6-3
1958 [1] Lower Hutt Flag of New Zealand.svg Jeff Robson (2) Flag of New Zealand.svg Ron McKenzie 6-3, 4–6, 7–5, 7-5
1959 [1] Wellington Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Billy Knight Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Davies 6-4, 2–6, 6–4, 6-2
1961 [1] Wellington Flag of New Zealand.svg Richard Hawkes Flag of New Zealand.svg M Hussey6-2, 6-2
1963 [1] Hamilton Flag of New Zealand.svg Lew Gerrard Flag of New Zealand.svg Ian Crookenden 6-2, 6-3
1964 [1] Whanganui Flag of New Zealand.svg Lew Gerrard (2) Flag of New Zealand.svg Jeff Robson 7-5, 6-0
1967 [1] Lower Hutt Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox Flag of New Zealand.svg Brian Fairlie 6-2, 6-4
1968 [1] Timuru Flag of New Zealand.svg Brian Fairlie Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun 6–3, 6–4, 6–1
   Open Era   
1969 [1] Hamilton Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Toomas Leius Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun 6-3, 6-4 5–7, 6-1
1970 [1] Hutt Valley Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun Flag of New Zealand.svg Richard Hawkes 6-1, 5–7, 7–9, 6–2, 6-3
1971 [1] Palmerston North Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun (2) Flag of Austria.svg Hans Kary 6-4, 7–5, 6-3
North Island Open Championships
1972 [1] Hamilton Flag of the United States.svg Armistead Neely Flag of the United States.svg Steve Faulk 7-5, 6–3, 7-5
1973 [1] Palmerston North Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Rheinberger Flag of Sweden.svg Lars Olander6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1978 [1] Wellington Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of Brazil.svg João Soares 2-6, 6–3, 7-5

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

North Island Championships
YearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore
1932Palmerston North Flag of New Zealand.svg Miss M. Whyte Flag of New Zealand.svg  ? ?
1961Lower Hutt Flag of New Zealand.svg Ruia Morrison Flag of Australia (converted).svg M. Johnston6–3, 6–2
1967Lower Hutt Flag of New Zealand.svg Marilyn Headifen Flag of New Zealand.svg Beverley Vercoe6–0, 6–2
   Open Era   
1969Nelson Flag of New Zealand.svg Jennifer Goodall Nelson [6] Flag of New Zealand.svg Lynn Harris6–4, 6–4.
1970Hutt Valley Flag of the United States.svg Alice Tym Flag of New Zealand.svg Beverley Vercoe6–2, 6–2
1971Palmerston North Flag of New Zealand.svg Jill Fraser Flag of New Zealand.svg Beverley Vercoe6–3, 5–7, 6–3
North Island Open Championships
1975Hutt Valley Flag of the United States.svg Ceci Martinez Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Michèle Gurdal 6–3, 2–6, 6–3

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Tournaments:North Island Open Championships" . The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  2. "Lower Hutt Tennis Club". Lower Hutt Tennis Club. Tennis Kiwi. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. "Tournaments:Wairarapa Provincial Championships" . The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. Tennis Kiwi
  5. "Tournaments:South Island Open Championships" . The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. Friends of the Nelson Library