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 | |
| Tour | ILTF World Circuit ILTF Independent Tour |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Abolished | 1978 |
| Location | Christchurch Hutt Valley Hamilton Lower Hutt Palmerston North Wellington Whanganui |
| Venue | Various |
| Surface | Grass (1934-75) Hard (1976-78) |
History edit
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 edit
Men's singles edit
(incomplete roll)
| North Island Championships | ||||
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934[1] | Lower Hutt |  Cam Malfroy |
Jack Curtis Charters |
6–2, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1937[1] | Lower Hutt | Cam Malfroy (2) |
Buster Andrews |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1957[1] | Wellington | Jeff Robson |
Ron McKenzie |
6-1, 5–7, 6-3 |
| 1958[1] | Lower Hutt | Jeff Robson (2) |
Ron McKenzie |
6-3, 4–6, 7–5, 7-5 |
| 1959[1] | Wellington |  Billy Knight |
Mike Davies |
6-4, 2–6, 6–4, 6-2 |
| 1961[1] | Wellington | Richard Hawkes |
M Hussey |
6-2, 6-2 |
| 1963[1] | Hamilton | Lew Gerrard |
Ian Crookenden |
6-2, 6-3 |
| 1964[1] | Whanganui | Lew Gerrard (2) |
Jeff Robson |
7-5, 6-0 |
| 1967[1] | Lower Hutt | Mark Cox |
Brian Fairlie |
6-2, 6-4 |
| 1968[1] | Timuru | Brian Fairlie |
Onny Parun |
6–3, 6–4, 6–1 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ | ||||
| 1969[1] | Hamilton |  Toomas Leius |
Onny Parun |
6-3, 6-4 5–7, 6-1 |
| 1970[1] | Hutt Valley | Onny Parun |
Richard Hawkes |
6-1, 5–7, 7–9, 6–2, 6-3 |
| 1971[1] | Palmerston North | Onny Parun (2) |
 Hans Kary |
6-4, 7–5, 6-3 |
| North Island Open Championships | ||||
| 1972[1] | Hamilton |  Armistead Neely |
Steve Faulk |
7-5, 6–3, 7-5 |
| 1973[1] | Palmerston North |  Bob Rheinberger |
 Lars Olander |
6–4, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1978[1] | Wellington | Bob Carmichael |
 João Soares |
2-6, 6–3, 7-5 |
Women's singles edit
(incomplete roll)
| North Island Championships | ||||
| Year | Location | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Palmerston North | Miss M. Whyte |
? |
? |
| 1961 | Lower Hutt | Ruia Morrison |
M. Johnston |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 1967 | Lower Hutt | Marilyn Headifen |
Beverley Vercoe |
6–0, 6–2 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ | ||||
| 1969 | Nelson | Jennifer Goodall Nelson[6] |
Lynn Harris |
6–4, 6–4. |
| 1970 | Hutt Valley | Alice Tym |
Beverley Vercoe |
6–2, 6–2 |
| 1971 | Palmerston North | Jill Fraser |
Beverley Vercoe |
6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| North Island Open Championships | ||||
| 1975 | Hutt Valley | Ceci Martinez |
 Michèle Gurdal |
6–3, 2–6, 6–3 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Tournaments:North Island Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Lower Hutt Tennis Club". Lower Hutt Tennis Club. Tennis Kiwi. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Tournaments:Wairarapa Provincial Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Tennis Kiwi
- ^ "Tournaments:South Island Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Friends of the Nelson Library