The Hawke's Bay Championships was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1886 as men's event called the Napier Open. The tournament ran annually through til 1972 until it was discontinued.
History In late December 1885 the Napier Lawn Tennis Club organised the first Napier Open men's tournament, which was played at Farndon Park. There was also a mixed doubles event staged from 1887 under the tournament name Farndon Park Open. The tournament ran annually under that name, when the competition was expanded to include the Hawke's Bay area thus becoming a regional event called the Hawke's Bay Open in 1900 and organised by the Hawke's Bay Tennis Association. In 1908 the event was re-branded as the Hawke's Bay Championships. The championships were staged annually with the exception of World War One until 1972 when they were discontinued.
Locations The tournament was held in various locations such as Dannevirke, Hastings, Havelock North, Napier and Waipawa in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
Finals Men's singles (Incomplete roll)
Napier OpenYearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore1886 Napier Eric Pollard Hudson Minden Fenwick6–1, 6–2, 6–3.1887Napier Percival Clennell Fenwick Eric Pollard Hudson6–2, 6–0, 6–4.1888Napier Percival Clennell Fenwick Minden Fenwick6–4, 6–3, 6–1.1890Napier Richard Dacre Harman Robert Osmond Koch4–6, 8–6, 6–0, 6–2.Hawke's Bay Championship1902Hastings E.L. Salmond Charles Harrington Broad3–6, 6–3, 6–3.1915/1919Not held (due to World War I)1906Napier Robert Sloan Brown Charles Harrington Broad3–6, 6–3, 6–3.1908Dannevirke Harry Alabaster Parker G. Ebbett6–1, 6–0.1911Havelock North Geoffrey Morton Ollivier Herbert Linley Robson6–0, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3.1921Hastings K.G. Walker Charles E. L. Margoliouth6–3, 6–2.1922 Napier Stanley Powdrell A.W. Campbell6–2, 6–5.1936Dannevirke Jack Curtis Charters John W. (Jack) Gunn6–1, 6–0.1939Hastings Norman N. Smith Buster Andrews6–0, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3.↓ Open era ↓1971Hastings Barry Smith Paul Finlayson8–6, 6–4.1972Hastings Ian Beverley Andy Moffat6–0, 6–4.
Women's singles (Incomplete roll) Hawke's Bay OpenYearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore 1904Hastings Hilda Brathwaite Ruby Wellwood6–1, 6–4. Hawke's Bay Championship 1909Napier Eva Baird Dorothy Hindmarsh8–6, 8–6 1910Dannevirke Ruby Wellwood Nancy Hartgill 9–61911Havelock North Ruby Wellwood Eva Baird 6–0, 4–6, 6–2 1912Napier Eva Baird Sybil Clark 9–1 1913Dannevirke Nancy Hartgill Vera Simpson 6–1, 6–2 1914Hastings Eileen Wellwood Maddison Doris Wellwood 6–5, 6–41915/1919Not held (due to World War I) 1920Dannevirke? Doris Wellwood Mrs Cato 6–4, 6–4 1921Hastings Zeta Wellwood Doris Fenwick 6–1, 2–6, 6–4 1922 Napier Zeta Wellwood Miss Kennedy 6–1, 2–6, 6–1 1923Hastings Marjorie MacFarlane Beryl Knight 6–3, 5–7, 13–11 1924Waipawa Nancy Hartgill Green Vera Howett6–1, 2–6, 6–1 1925Napier Vera Howett Marjorie MacFarlane6–3, 6–1 1926Dannevirke Nancy Hartgill Green Molly Cato 7–5, 6–2 1927Napier Snow Clark Marion Lowry3–8, 6–3, 6–2 1928Waipawa Arita Howe Adams May Myers 6–5, 6–4 1930Dannevirke Arita Howe Adams Margery Gibson 6–2, 7–9, 6–3 1936Dannevirke Mrs. R. Swann Mrs. Mawson6–3, 6–2.1939Hastings Marjorie MacFarlane 6–0, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. ↓ Open era ↓ 1971Hastings Kathy Harter Sue Blakely 6–1, 6–2
References