South Island Open Championships

South Island Open Championships
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF World Circuit
ILTF Independent Tour
Founded1934 (1934)
Abolished1978 (1978)
LocationChristchurch
Nelson
Timaru
Wānaka
VenueVarious
SurfaceGrass (1934-75)
Hard (1976-78)

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]

History

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

Men's singles

(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

(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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Nelson Lawn Tennis Club". Nelson Lawn Tennis Club. Tennis Kiwi. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Tournaments:Nelson Provincial Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ of New Zealand, National Library (6 February 1905). "Nelson Lawn Tennis Association Annual Tournament". The Colonist. Papers Past. p. 2. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. ^ Tennis Kiwi
  6. ^ "Tournaments:North Island Open Championships". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Friends of the Nelson Library