Natal Sugar Circuit Open Championships

Natal Sugar Circuit Open Tennis Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF Sugar Circuit
Founded1962
Abolished1981
LocationDurban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
SurfaceHard (outdoor)

The Natal Sugar Circuit Open Championships[1] was a men's and women's international tennis tournament founded in 1962 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa as the Natal Sugar Circuit Championships. Its sponsorship name was the Hulett Natal Sugar Circuit Open Championships[2] It was the sugar circuit series finales event. The tournament ended in 1981.

History

The Natal Championships were founded in 1884 and first staged Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[3] In 1962 the Natal Sugar Championships were founded as part of the Sugar Circuit (f. 1962)[4][5] of tennis tournaments from the 1960s to 1980s.[6] In 1962 and 1972 only men's tournament was also valid as the Natal Championships.

In 1980 the tournament was ended due to the withdraw of sponsorship by South African Sugar Association.[7][8] The event was staged at Umhlali during the final four years of the women's event. In later years the tournament had switched to hard courts. The event was usually run between the middle two weeks of July each year.

Finals

Men's singles

(Incomplete roll)

Natal Sugar Championships
1962 Mike Sangster Gaetan Koenig 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
1963 Wilhelm Bungert Abe Segal Title shared due to rain.
Open era
Natal Sugar Open Championships
1970[9] Keith Diepraam Graham Stilwell 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
1971 Manuel Santana Jan Leschly 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
1972[10] Jürgen Fassbender Juan Gisbert 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
1974 Raz Reid Deon Joubert 6-2, 6-1

Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)

Natal Sugar Championships
1962 Ann Haydon Annette Van Zyl 6-2, 6-0
1963 Margaret Hunt Renée Schuurman 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
1964 Darlene Hard Annette Van Zyl 6-1, 6-2
1965 Ingrid Frohling Heather Segal 1-6, 6-0, 6-4
1966 Annette Van Zyl Ann Haydon Jones 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
1967 Pat Walkden Virginia Wade 6-2, 9-7
1968 Annette Van Zyl Carole Caldwell Graebner 6-1, 6-1
Open era
Natal Sugar Open Championships
1969 Billie Jean Moffitt King Annette Du Plooy 6-4, 6-1
1970 Billie Jean Moffitt King (2) Margaret Smith Court 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
1971[11] Margaret Smith Court Patti Hogan 6-2, 6-1
1972 Brenda Kirk Pat Walkden Pretorius 6-3, 6-3
1973 Sharon Walsh Pat Walkden Pretorius 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
1974 Sharon Walsh (2) Brenda Kirk 6-2, 6-1
1975 Linky Boshoff Greer Stevens 0-6, 6-0, 6-4
1976 Brenda Kirk Dimitriou (2) Alison McMillan 6-1, 6-2
1977 Elizabeth Vlotman Alison McMillan McDade 6-3, 6-2
1978 Alison McMillan McDade Elizabeth Vlotman 7-5, 6-2
1979 Elizabeth Vlotman (2) Alison McMillan McDade 7-5, 6-2
1980 Elvyn Barrable Ms Muller 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
1981 Rene Uys Beverly Mould 3-6, 6-1, 6-2

References

  1. ^ "The South African Sugar Year Book". South Sugar Journal. 53. Mount Edgecombe, South Africa: South African sugar journal.: 26 1982.
  2. ^ "TENNIS". Belfast Telegraph. Antrim, Northern Ireland: British Newspaper Archive. 17 January 1962. p. 13. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  3. ^ "The History of KZN Tennis". KZN Tennis Association. p. 1. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. ^ Robertson (1974)
  5. ^ Belfast Telegraph (1962)
  6. ^ Dewey, Glen (1980). THE LAST SUGAR TENNIS CIRCUIT END OF AN ERA By Glen Dewey (South African Sugar Association). The South African Sugar Journal. Vol 64. Mount Edgecombe, South Africa. p.10.
  7. ^ South African Sugar Journal (1980)
  8. ^ "South African Sugar Industry". SASA. The South African Sugar Association. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  9. ^ "TENNIS: Stilwell loses in final of Natal Sugar open tennis tournament at Durban yesterday". Birmingham Daily Post. Warwickshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 8 April 1970. p. 26. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Weekend Sports In Brief". Oxnard Press Courier. Oxnard, California, United States: Newspaper Archive. 17 January 1972. p. 16. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Sport: Cricket and Tennis". Sports Argus. Warwickshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 3 April 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2023.