The South Island Open Championships was a regional men's and women's grass court then later hard court tennis tournament founded in 1934 as the South Island Championships.[1] The tournament was first played at the Nelson Lawn Tennis Club (f.1925),[2] Nelson, Nelson Province, North Island, New Zealand. The tournament was played at other locations until 1978 when it was discontinued as part of the ILTF Independent Tour.[1]
| South Island Open Championships | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Tour | ILTF World Circuit ILTF Independent Tour |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Abolished | 1978 |
| Location | Christchurch Nelson Timaru Wānaka |
| Venue | Various |
| Surface | Grass (1934-75) Hard (1976-78) |
History edit
This tournament has it origins in the Nelson Provincial Lawn Tennis Association Championships founded in 1899 that ran till 1910.[3][4] In 1934 the Southern Lawn Tennis Association of New Zealand was established (today its known as Tennis Southern) it established the South Island Championships.[1]
The tournament was first played at the Nelson Lawn Tennis Club (f.1925),[5] Nelson, Nelson 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, Christchurch, Timaru and Wānaka.
The North Island equivalent to this tournament was the North Island Open Championships also founded in 1932 by the Northern Lawn Tennis Association of New Zealand.[6]
Finals edit
Men's singles edit
(incomplete roll)
| South Island Championships | ||||
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934[1] | Nelson |  Cam Malfroy |
Buster Andrews |
6–4, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1937[1] | Nelson | Alan Stedman |
Buster Andrews |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1950[1] | Nelson | John Barry |
Ron McKenzie |
6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1957[1] | Nelson | Jeff Robson |
Lew Gerrard |
6–4, 6–1 |
| 1967[1] | Nelson | Onny Parun |
Richard Hawkes |
10–8, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 1968[1] | Timuru | Brian Fairlie |
 Hank Irvine |
6–3, 6–4, 6–1 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ | ||||
| 1969[1] | Nelson | Ryan McCutcheon[7] |
Richard Harris |
10–8, 6–4. |
| 1970[1] | Nelson | Onny Parun (2) |
 Bill Tym |
9–7, 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1971[1] | Timuru |  Lars Ölander |
Richard Hawkes |
0–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–2 |
| South Island Open Championships | ||||
| 1972[1] | Nelson | Dave Simmonds |
Bill Brown |
3-6, 6–3, 1–6, 6–4 7–5 |
| 1973[1] | Timuru |  Kim Warwick |
Syd Ball |
6–4, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1978[1] | Wānaka | Glen Busby |
Ken Wurtz |
6–3, 6–1 |
Women's singles edit
(incomplete roll)
| South Island Championships | ||||
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Nelson | Ruia Morrison |
Dawn Taylor |
6–4, 6–8, 6–1 |
| 1960 | Nelson | Sonia Cox |
Heather Robson |
8–6, 6–1 |
| 1962 | Nelson | Ruia Morrison (2) |
Ethne Mitchell |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 1967 | Nelson | Ethne Mitchell |
Cecelie Fleming |
6–2, 6–4 |
| 1968 | Timuru |  Winnie Shaw |
Rita Bentley |
6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ | ||||
| 1969 | Nelson | Jennifer Goodall Nelson[8] |
Lynn Harris |
6–4, 6–4. |
| 1970 | Nelson | Alice Tym |
Beverley Vercoe |
4–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1971 | Timuru | Kathleen Harter |
Sue Blakely |
6–2, 6–4 |
| South Island Open Championships | ||||
| 1976 | Wānaka | Karen Krantzcke |
Helena Anliot |
6–1, 3–6, 6–4 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Tournaments:South Island Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Nelson Lawn Tennis Club". Nelson Lawn Tennis Club. Tennis Kiwi. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Tournaments:Nelson Provincial Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ of New Zealand, National Library (6 February 1905). "Nelson Lawn Tennis Association Annual Tournament". The Colonist. Papers Past. p. 2. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Tennis Kiwi
- ^ "Tournaments:North Island Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "South Island Tennis Titles - Nelson Photo News - No 99 : February 8, 1969". photonews.org.nz. Nelson, New Zealand: Friends of the Nelson Library. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Friends of the Nelson Library