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History

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In the 1920s major new tennis venues were built in Auckland for the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association (now called Tennis Auckland), as well as Wellington and Christchurch comprising both grass and hard courts.[1] In 1920 when the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association was looking for a permanent base, the only available site was a tip in Stanley Street. Undeterred, the local clubs raised the-then enormous sum of 1,800 pounds to prepare the site and build new courts. For the next 30 years the Tennis Centre in Stanley Street was home to local tennis matches. In 1956 Auckland hosted its first permanent international tournament, known as the 'Auckland Invitation'.[2] The tournament was a joint men's and women's event until 1981.[3]

From 1969, the first edition in the open era of tennis, until 1995 the tournament was known under its sponsored name 'Benson and Hedges Open'. From 1998 until 2015 it was named the 'Heineken Open'.[4]

By the 1960s the shuttle bus fare from town to Stanley Street was sixpence. Admission was five shillings for the first three days and 7/6 for finals and semifinals – a whole tournament for the equivalent of $4. By the 1970s, 25 cents got you all-day parking next door at Carlaw Park. The tournament was played on outdoor grass courts from its inaugural edition in 1956 until 1977, switching to hard courts in 1978. Between 1979 and 1989 it was a tournament of the Grand Prix tennis circuit.

After being separated for 34 years, the WTA and ATP merged the event in 2016 and both tournaments are now known collectively as the ASB Classic. Heineken will still be a sponsor but will have a diminished role in anticipation of new tennis regulations restricting alcohol sponsorship.[5]

Both the 2021 and 2022 Auckland Open were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In regards to the 2022 cancellation, organizers cited New Zealand's strict quarantine rules as making it intractable for players, officials, and all other required staff to be admitted into the country.[6][7]

Finals

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Singles

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Year Champions Runners-up Score
Auckland Invitation
1956 Australia Mary Bevis Hawton Australia Thelma Coyne Long 8–6, 10–8
1958 United Kingdom Angela Mortimer New Zealand Ruia Morrison 6–2, 6–1
New Zealand Invitation
1959 New Zealand Ruia Morrison Australia Betty Holstein 6–4, 6–4
Auckland Invitation
1960 New Zealand M.A. Smith New Zealand Ruia Morrison 6–2, 6–4
1961 Australia Jan Lehane New Zealand Ruia Morrison 6–0, 6–3
1962 United States Darlene Hard New Zealand Ruia Morrison 7–5, 7–5
Wills International
1963 Australia Lesley Turner New Zealand Ruia Morrison-Davy 6–2, 6–1
1964 Australia Margaret Smith Australia Jan Lehane 6–4, 3–6, 6–0
1965 United Kingdom Rita Bentley Australia Jill Blackman 6–4, 6–3
1966 Australia Margaret Smith (2) Australia Kerry Melville 6–1, 6–1
1967 United States Rosie Casals France Françoise Dürr 6–2, 7–5
1968 Australia Kerry Melville Australia Gail Sherriff 8–6, 6–1
↓  Open Era  ↓
New Zealand Open (Benson & Hedges Open)
1969 * United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones Australia Karen Krantzcke 6–1, 6–1
1970 United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones (2) Australia Kerry Melville 0–6, 6–4, 6–1
Benson & Hedges Centennial Open
1971 Australia Margaret Smith Court (3) Australia Evonne Goolagong 3–6, 7–6, 6–2
New Zealand Open (Benson & Hedges Open)
1972 * United States Mona Schallau New Zealand Marilyn Pryde 6–2, 6–0
1973 Australia Evonne Goolagong New Zealand Marilyn Pryde 6–0 6–1
1974 Australia Evonne Goolagong (2) United States Ann Kiyomura 6–3, 6–1
1975 Australia Evonne Goolagong (3) United Kingdom Linda Mottram 6–2, 7–5
1976 United Kingdom Sue Barker West Germany Helga Niessen Masthoff 6–5, rained out title shared
1977 West Germany Heidi Eisterlehner Australia Karen Krantzcke 6–4, 6–4
1978 Sweden Helena Anliot Australia Marilyn Tesch 6–4, 6–3
1979 Australia Pam Whytcross New Zealand Brenda Perry 6–3, 7–5
WTA Auckland Open (Benson & Hedges Open)
1980 United States Janet Newberry New Zealand Judy Connor Chaloner 6–2, 6–1
1981 Australia Pam Whytcross (2) New Zealand Chris Newton 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
1982 United Kingdom Anne Hobbs New Zealand Belinda Cordwell 6–4, 6–2
↓  Category 1  ↓
1985 United Kingdom Anne Hobbs Australia Louise Field 6–4, 6–2
Nutri-Metics Open
1987 United States Gretchen Magers United States Terry Phelps 6–2, 6–3
1988 United States Patty Fendick United Kingdom Sara Gomer 6–3, 7–6
1989 United States Patty Fendick (2) New Zealand Belinda Cordwell 6–2, 6–0
Tier V
Nutri-Metics International
1990 Soviet Union Leila Meskhi Belgium Sabine Appelmans 6–1, 6–0
Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic
1991 Czechoslovakia Eva Švíglerová Czechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová 6–2, 0–6, 6–1
1992 United States Robin White Czechoslovakia Andrea Strnadová 6–0, 6–0
Tier IV
Amway Classic
1993 South Africa Elna Reinach United States Caroline Kuhlman 6–0, 6–0
1994 United States Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen Argentina Inés Gorrochategui 7–6(7–4), 6–3
1995 Australia Nicole Bradtke United States Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
1996 United States Sandra Cacic Austria Barbara Paulus 6–3, 1–6, 6–4
ASB Classic
1997 Austria Marion Maruska Austria Judith Wiesner 6–3, 6–1
1998 Belgium Dominique van Roost Belgium Dominique van Roost 4–6, 7–6, 7–5
1999 1999 Belgium Dominique van Roost 6–4, 6–1
2000 Luxembourg Anne Kremer Zimbabwe Cara Black 6–4, 6–4
Tier V
2001 United States Meilen Tu Argentina Paola Suárez 7–6(10–8), 6–2
Tier IV
2002 Israel Anna Smashnova Russia Tatiana Panova 6–2, 6–2
2003 Greece Eleni Daniilidou South Korea Cho Yoon-jeong 6–4, 4–6, 7–62
2004 Greece Eleni Daniilidou (2) United States Ashley Harkleroad 6–3, 6–2
2005 Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik Japan Shinobu Asagoe 5–7, 7–5, 6–4
2006 France Marion Bartoli Russia Vera Zvonareva 6–2, 6–2
2007 Serbia Jelena Janković Russia Vera Zvonareva 7–6(11–9), 5–7, 6–3
2008 United States Lindsay Davenport France Aravane Rezaï 6–2, 6–2
↓  International  ↓
2009 Russia Elena Dementieva Russia Elena Vesnina 6–4, 6–1
2010 Belgium Yanina Wickmayer Italy Flavia Pennetta 6–3, 6–2
2011 Hungary Gréta Arn Belgium Yanina Wickmayer 6–3, 6–3
2012 China Zheng Jie Italy Flavia Pennetta 2–6, 6–3, 2–0 Ret.
2013 Poland Agnieszka Radwańska Belgium Yanina Wickmayer 6–4, 6–4
2014 Serbia Ana Ivanovic United States Venus Williams 6–2, 5–7, 6–4
2015 United States Venus Williams Denmark Caroline Wozniacki 2–6, 6–3, 6–3
2016 United States Sloane Stephens Germany Julia Görges 7–5, 6–2
2017 United States Lauren Davis Croatia Ana Konjuh 6–3, 6–1
2018 Germany Julia Görges Denmark Caroline Wozniacki 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
2019 Germany Julia Görges (2) Canada Bianca Andreescu 2–6, 7–5, 6–1
2020 United States Serena Williams United States Jessica Pegula 6–3, 6–4
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022
↓  WTA 250  ↓
2023 United States Coco Gauff Spain Rebeka Masarova 6–1, 6–1

Event names

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This tournament had just it's official names from 1956 to 1968 with no sponsorship. In 1969 folloing the open era sponsorship begins and the event carries both its official designation and its sponsorship title.

Official

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Name Years Event type
Auckland Invitation 1956–1958, 1960–1962 combined
New Zealand Invitation 1959 combined
Wills International 1963–1968 combined
New Zealand Open 1969–1979 combined
Auckland Open 1980–1981 combined
ATP Auckland Open 1982–2015 men's
WTA Auckland Open 1982–2015 women's
Auckland Open 2016–current combined
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The tournaments sponsored names have been as follows:

Name Years Event type
Benson & Hedges Open 1969–1970, 1960–1962 combined
Benson & Hedges Centennial Open 1971 combined
Benson & Hedges Open 1972–1982 combined
events seperate (1983-2015) & no womens events (1983-84, 86)
Benson & Hedges Open 1983–1995 men's
Nutri-Metics Open 1987–1989 women's
Heiniken Open 1996–2016 men's
Nutri-Metics International 1990 women's
Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic 1991–1992 women's
Amway Classic 1993–1996 women's
ASB Classic 1997–2015 women's
events combine again (2016)
ASB Classic 2016–current combined
  1. ^ Romanos, Joseph (5 Sep 2013). "Tennis: Consolidation, 1920s to 1940s". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. ^ Romanos (2013)
  3. ^ Joseph Romanos (8 January 2005). "Our tennis open". NOTED.co.nz. New Zealand Listener.
  4. ^ "Tennis: Net profits the name of the game". New Zealand Herald. 5 January 2002.
  5. ^ "ATP and WTA Auckland events merge". Tennisnews.com. 28 August 2015.
  6. ^ "2021 ASB Classic cancelled". Stuff. 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Tennis: ASB Classic cancelled for second straight year". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-06-30.