Natal Sugar Open Championships

The Natal Sugar 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 Championships. Its sponsorship name was the Hulett Natal Sugar Open Championships[2] the tournament ended in 1981.

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

History

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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

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Men's singles

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(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

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(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

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  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.