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. The tournament was first played at the Nelson Lawn Tennis Club (f.1925), 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.
History This tournament has it origins in the Nelson Provincial Lawn Tennis Association Championships founded in 1899 that ran till 1910. In 1934 the Southern Lawn Tennis Association of New Zealand was established (today its known as Tennis Southern) it established the South Island Championships.
The tournament was first played at the Nelson Lawn Tennis Club (f.1925),Tennis Kiwi 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.
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.
Finals Men's singles (incomplete roll) South Island ChampionshipsYearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore1934Nelson Cam Malfroy Buster Andrews 6–4, 6–4, 6–21937Nelson Alan Stedman Buster Andrews 6–3, 6–41950Nelson John Barry Ron McKenzie 6–3, 6–4, 6–31957Nelson Jeff Robson Lew Gerrard 6–4, 6–11967Nelson Onny Parun Richard Hawkes10–8, 6–3, 7–51968Timuru Brian Fairlie Hank Irvine6–3, 6–4, 6–1↓ Open Era ↓1969Nelson Ryan McCutcheon Richard Harris10–8, 6–4.1970Nelson Onny Parun (2) Bill Tym 9–7, 5–7, 4–6, 6–2, 6–31971Timuru Lars Ölander Richard Hawkes0–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–2South Island Open Championships1972Nelson Dave Simmonds Bill Brown3-6, 6–3, 1–6, 6–4 7–51973Timuru Kim Warwick Syd Ball6–4, 6–3, 6–21978Wānaka Glen Busby Ken Wurtz6–3, 6–1
Women's singles (incomplete roll) South Island ChampionshipsYearLocationChampionsRunners-upScore1958Nelson Ruia Morrison Dawn Taylor6–4, 6–8, 6–11960Nelson Sonia Cox Heather Robson8–6, 6–11962Nelson Ruia Morrison (2) Ethne Mitchell 6–2, 6–11967Nelson Ethne Mitchell Cecelie Fleming 6–2, 6–41968Timuru Winnie Shaw Rita Bentley6–3, 3–6, 6–2↓ Open Era ↓1969Nelson Jennifer Goodall NelsonFriends of the Nelson Library Lynn Harris6–4, 6–4.1970Nelson Alice Tym Beverley Vercoe4–6, 6–2, 6–11971Timuru Kathleen Harter Sue Blakely6–2, 6–4South Island Open Championships1976Wānaka Karen Krantzcke Helena Anliot6–1, 3–6, 6–4
References
External links Tennis Kiwi: Nelson Bay Tennis Association Venues: Nelson Lawn Tennis Club