North Island Open Championships

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]

North Island Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF World Circuit
ILTF Independent Tour
Founded1932 (1932)
Abolished1978 (1978)
LocationChristchurch
Hutt Valley
Hamilton
Lower Hutt
Palmerston North
Wellington Whanganui
VenueVarious
SurfaceGrass (1934-75)
Hard (1976-78)

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 until1915.[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
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1934[1]Lower Hutt Cam Malfroy Jack Curtis Charters6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1937[1]Lower Hutt Cam Malfroy (2) Buster Andrews6–3, 6–4
1957[1]Wellington Jeff Robson Ron McKenzie6-1, 5–7, 6-3
1958[1]Lower Hutt Jeff Robson (2) Ron McKenzie6-3, 4–6, 7–5, 7-5
1959[1]Wellington Billy Knight Mike Davies6-4, 2–6, 6–4, 6-2
1961[1]Wellington Richard Hawkes M Hussey6-2, 6-2
1963[1]Hamilton Lew Gerrard Ian Crookenden6-2, 6-3
1964[1]Whanganui Lew Gerrard (2) Jeff Robson7-5, 6-0
1967[1]Lower Hutt Mark Cox Brian Fairlie6-2, 6-4
1968[1]Timuru Brian Fairlie Onny Parun6–3, 6–4, 6–1
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969[1]Hamilton Toomas Leius Onny Parun6-3, 6-4 5–7, 6-1
1970[1]Hutt Valley Onny Parun Richard Hawkes6-1, 5–7, 7–9, 6–2, 6-3
1971[1]Palmerston North Onny Parun (2) Hans Kary6-4, 7–5, 6-3
North Island Open Championships
1972[1]Hamilton Armistead Neely Steve Faulk7-5, 6–3, 7-5
1973[1]Palmerston North Bob Rheinberger Lars Olander6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1978[1]Wellington Bob Carmichael João Soares2-6, 6–3, 7-5

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

North Island Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1932Palmerston North Miss M. Whyte ? ?
1961Lower Hutt Ruia Morrison M. Johnston6–3, 6–2
1967Lower Hutt Marilyn Headifen Beverley Vercoe6–0, 6–2
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969Nelson Jennifer Goodall Nelson[6] Lynn Harris6–4, 6–4.
1970Hutt Valley Alice Tym Beverley Vercoe6–2, 6–2
1971Palmerston North Jill Fraser Beverley Vercoe6–3, 5–7, 6–3
North Island Open Championships
1975Hutt Valley Ceci Martinez Michèle Gurdal6–3, 2–6, 6–3

References
  1. "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
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.