# New Zealand Championships

The New Zealand Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament founded in 1885 in Napier, New Zealand also known as the New Zealand National Lawn Tennis Championships or the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association Championships. The championships were organised by Tennis New Zealand, and played in various locations during its run that ended in 2020.

## History

In December 1886, the first New Zealand Championships were held at Farndon Park, in the small town of Clive, near Napier. The championships were organised by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, which was formed in Napier.
The championships were held in numerous locations throughout the course of their history. The championships were not held from 1915 to 1918 due to World War I and also from 1940 to 1945 during World War II. Although the majority of the winners of the event were from New Zealand, a number of players from overseas also won the title, including Grand Slam singles winners Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich. New Zealand's multiple Grand Slam singles winner Anthony Wilding also won the New Zealand championships title. Before 1922 the Australasian championships were held in New Zealand on two occasions, but this was a separate tournament from the New Zealand championships. From 1922 onwards the Australasian Championships were no longer held at New Zealand or Perth and the event changed its name to the Australian Championships in 1927.
From 1973 to 1987 the event was sponsored by the oil company BP and was known as the BP New Zealand Championships. From 1988 the event was a New Zealand national event and continued to be held through till 2020 when it was discontinued. The tournament was played almost exclusively on grass courts from its inception until 1988 when it switched to hard courts.
The winner of the first men's singles title was Percival Fenwick, and the ladies singles was won by Sarah Lance. The final winner of the men's singles title was Finn Tearney and the women's singles was won by Paige Hourigan. The towns where the championships were held included Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hastings, Mount Eden, Miramar, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston, Timaru and Wellington. From 1979 the event was held permanently in Wellington.

## Finals
### Men's singles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1886 | Percival Fenwick | Eric Hudson | 6-2, 6-0, 6-4 |
| 1887 | Percival Fenwick | Richard Harman | 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 10-8, 6-2 |
| 1888 | Percival Fenwick | Minden Fenwick | 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 9-7 |
| 1889 | Minden Fenwick | Joy Marshall | 6-4, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1890 | Joy Marshall | Minden Fenwick | 6-3, 6-4, 10-8 |
| 1891 | Richard Harman | Joy Marshall | 6-4, 6-4, 10-8 |
| 1892 | Minden Fenwick | Richard Harman | 1-6, 7-5, 9-7, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 1893 | Minden Fenwick | Patrick Marshall | 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1894 | James Hooper | Harry Parker | 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1895 | Harry Parker | James Hooper | 6-4, 6-2, 6-5 |
| 1896 | Joy Marshall | James Hooper | 8-6, 6-2, 6-0 |
| 1897 | James Hooper | Harry Parker | 6-1, 8-6, 6-4 |
| 1898 | Cecil Cox | John Collins | 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1899 | James Hooper | John Peacock | 10-8, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1900 | Alfred Dunlop | John Peacock | 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1901 | John Peacock | Frederick Laishley | 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1902 | Harry Parker | John Peacock | 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1903 | Harry Parker | John Peacock | 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1904 | Harry Parker | Andrew Borrows | 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1905 | Harry Parker | Clifford Dickie | 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1906 | Anthony Wilding | Harry Parker | 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1907 | Harry Parker | Thomas Quill | 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1908 | Anthony Wilding | Harry Parker | 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 1909 | Anthony Wilding | Frank Fisher | 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1910 | John Peacock | Frank Fisher | 6-1, 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 |
| 1911 | Geoff Ollivier | John Peacock | 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1912 | Robert Swanston | Frank Fisher | 2-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1913 | Alexander Wallace | Clifford Dickie | 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 rtd. |
| 1914 | Geoff Ollivier | Lancelot Jennings | 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1915-18 | No competition | | |
| 1919 | Geoff Ollivier | James Laurenson | 6-2, 1-6, 6-0, 7-5 |
| 1920 | Bill Tilden | Watson Washburn | 6-0, 6-1, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 1921 | James Laurenson | Edgar Bartleet | 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1922 | Geoff Ollivier | James Laurenson | 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1923 | Arthur Sims | Geoff Ollivier | 9-7, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1924 | Geoff Ollivier | James Laurenson | 6-2, 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1925 | Geoff Ollivier | Donald France | 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1926 | Eskell 'Buster' Andrews | Allan North | 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 |
| 1927 | Geoff Ollivier | Edgar Bartleet | 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7 |
| 1928 | Edgar Bartleet | Cam Malfroy | 4-6, 7-5, 8-6, 6-4 |
| 1929 | Charlie Angas | Donald France | 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1930 | Alan Stedman | Harold Barnett | 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1931 | Charlie Angas | Harold Barnett | 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 |
| 1932 | Eskell 'Buster' Andrews | Cam Malfroy | 6-0, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 |
| 1933 | Cam Malfroy | Clifford Sproule | 4-6, 8-6, 6-3, 6-8, 6-3 |
| 1934 | Fred Perry | Abel Kay | 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1935 | Vivian McGrath | Eskell 'Buster' Andrews | 5-7, 10-8, 7-5, 6-0 |
| 1936 | Dennis Coombe | Noel Bedford | 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 |
| 1937 | Alistair Browne | Robert Pattinson | 6-0, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 1938 | Neil Edwards | Harold Barnett | 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1939 | John Bromwich | Jack Crawford | 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1940-45 | No competition | | |
| 1946 | Ron McKenzie | Stanley Painter | 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 |
| 1947 | Ron McKenzie | Leo Roach | 6-2, 0-6, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1948 | Ron McKenzie | Jeff Robson | 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1949 | Jeff Robson | Ron McKenzie | 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1950 | George Worthington | Jeff Robson | 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1951 | Ron McKenzie | John Barry | 6-2, 9-7, 6-4 |
| 1952 | Jeff Robson | Bill Sidwell | 1-6, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 1953 | George Worthington | Jeff Robson | 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1954 | John Barry | Mark Otway | 8-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1955 | John Barry | Jeff Robson | 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1956 | Jeff Robson | Ron McKenzie | 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1957 | Mike Davies | Jeff Robson | 2-6, 10-8, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1958 | Bob Howe | Jeff Robson | 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 |
| 1959 | Bob Howe | John Barry | 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 |
| 1960 | Lew Gerrard | Mark Otway | 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1961 | Lew Gerrard | Brian Woolf | 6-1, 6-2 6-1 |
| 1962 | Lew Gerrard | Ian Crookenden | 8-6, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 1963 | Lew Gerrard | Robert Clarke | 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1964 | Lew Gerrard | Gene Scott | 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 9-7 |
| 1965 | Barry Phillips-Moore | Lew Gerrard | 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1966 | Ken Fletcher | Roger Taylor | 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-0, 9-7 |
| 1967 | Mark Cox | Brian Fairlie | 7-5, 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1968 | Brian Fairlie | Colin Stubs | 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1969 | Brian Fairlie | Onny Parun | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1970 | Onny Parun | Richard Hawkes | 6-1, 12-10, 6-4 |
| 1971 | Colin Dibley | Bob Giltinan | 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1972 | Onny Parun | Steve Faulk | 3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1973 | Syd Ball | Kim Warwick | 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 |
| 1974 | Onny Parun | Russell Simpson | 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1975 | Gerhard Wimmer | Russell Simpson | 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1976 | Onny Parun | Peter Langsford | 7-5, 7-6, 7-6 |
| 1977 | Brian Fairlie | Dale Collings | 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1978 | Denis Gibson | Peter Langsford | 7-5, 6-4 |
| 1979 | Larry Loeb | David Mustard | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1980 | Mark Lewis | Onny Parun | 2-6, 6-3, 9-7 |
| 1981 | Onny Parun | Bruce Derlin | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1982 | Onny Parun | Rand Evett | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1983 | John McCurdy | David Mustard | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1984 | David Mustard | Steve Guy | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1985 | Kelly Evernden | David Lewis | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1986 | Kelly Evernden | James Dunphy | |
| 1987 | Kelly Evernden | Bruce Derlin | 6-3, 6-4 |

## Event names

The event was first known as the New Zealand National Lawn Tennis Championships or the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association Championships. It was later shortened to just New Zealand Championships and historically sometimes referred to as the New Zealand Senior Championships. From 1973 to 1987 the tournament was sponsored by the oil company BP and was branded as the BP New Zealand Championships. From 1988 to 1992 the BP National Championships was a Grand Prix/ATP level event and from 1993-95 was part of the challenger circuit. The New Zealand national championships no longer had BP sponsorship from 1988 and was a national event won by New Zealand players only.