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 HuttNew Zealand Cam MalfroyNew Zealand Jack Curtis Charters6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1937[1]Lower HuttNew Zealand Cam Malfroy (2)New Zealand Buster Andrews6–3, 6–4
1957[1]WellingtonNew Zealand Jeff RobsonNew Zealand Ron McKenzie6-1, 5–7, 6-3
1958[1]Lower HuttNew Zealand Jeff Robson (2)New Zealand Ron McKenzie6-3, 4–6, 7–5, 7-5
1959[1]WellingtonUnited Kingdom Billy KnightUnited Kingdom Mike Davies6-4, 2–6, 6–4, 6-2
1961[1]WellingtonNew Zealand Richard HawkesNew Zealand M Hussey6-2, 6-2
1963[1]HamiltonNew Zealand Lew GerrardNew Zealand Ian Crookenden6-2, 6-3
1964[1]WhanganuiNew Zealand Lew Gerrard (2)New Zealand Jeff Robson7-5, 6-0
1967[1]Lower HuttUnited Kingdom Mark CoxNew Zealand Brian Fairlie6-2, 6-4
1968[1]TimuruNew Zealand Brian FairlieNew Zealand Onny Parun6–3, 6–4, 6–1
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969[1]HamiltonSoviet Union Toomas LeiusNew Zealand Onny Parun6-3, 6-4 5–7, 6-1
1970[1]Hutt ValleyNew Zealand Onny ParunNew Zealand Richard Hawkes6-1, 5–7, 7–9, 6–2, 6-3
1971[1]Palmerston NorthNew Zealand Onny Parun (2)Austria Hans Kary6-4, 7–5, 6-3
North Island Open Championships
1972[1]HamiltonUnited States Armistead NeelyUnited States Steve Faulk7-5, 6–3, 7-5
1973[1]Palmerston NorthAustralia Bob RheinbergerSweden Lars Olander6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1978[1]WellingtonAustralia Bob CarmichaelBrazil João Soares2-6, 6–3, 7-5

Women's singles

(incomplete roll)

North Island Championships
Year Location Champions Runners-up Score
1932Palmerston NorthNew Zealand Miss M. WhyteNew Zealand ? ?
1961Lower HuttNew Zealand Ruia MorrisonAustralia M. Johnston6–3, 6–2
1967Lower HuttNew Zealand Marilyn HeadifenNew Zealand Beverley Vercoe6–0, 6–2
↓  Open Era  ↓
1969NelsonNew Zealand Jennifer Goodall Nelson[6]New Zealand Lynn Harris6–4, 6–4.
1970Hutt ValleyUnited States Alice TymNew Zealand Beverley Vercoe6–2, 6–2
1971Palmerston NorthNew Zealand Jill FraserNew Zealand Beverley Vercoe6–3, 5–7, 6–3
North Island Open Championships
1975Hutt ValleyUnited States Ceci MartinezBelgium 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
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