User:Navops47/sandbox11

History

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. 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'. The tournament was a joint men's and women's event until 1981.

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'.

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.

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.

Finals

Singles

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

Event names

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

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

Sponsored

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