LAWN TENNIS

(By Huka.) NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. The twenty-sixth annual meeting of the New Zealand Association will ba held on Thursday, 31st inst. The report shown that 11,047 players are now affiliated to the , association. Canterbury leads the list vith 3d clubs and 2131 players, which ie an increase of 10 clubs and 297 players on ld«6 year's return, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough also show increases of over 200 plafers apiece; in fact, most of the associations have advanced in the number of dubs' and members, excepting Nelson and Waiteanui, which have stood still, and Wellington, which has gone back by two clubs and 77 members. The association's income for the year was £198 10s fid, and the expenditure £125 8s 3d, leaving a profit of £73 £s 2d. The New Zealand Championship Meeting showed a profit of £107 17* 4d, gate and stand receipts being respectively £137 11s 6d and £61 14s 6d. The association hat now some £200 in hand. * BRITISH ISLES DAVIS CUP TEAM. The Englishmen have arrived in Melbourne, and will settle down at once to steady training for the Davis Cup contest. When the big evettfc is over, the team will tour, and are expedited at Auckland on the 22nd December. They play a match there on the £3rd and 2#t), and then journey via Rotorua, Taupo, and Napier to Hastings, where they will compete in the Australasian singles am'l doubles. Later, matches against Now .Zealand will be played at Chrißtchurch and Wellington, and the team will leave for Sydney again on the 10th January. 'Xhe New Zealand Association has given thp British team a guarantee of £150. Tho team will take half the net proceeds of tilie tour, the remaining half will go to *W associations conducting the matches. T»he association has asked the Auckland, Canterbury, and Wellington Associations to each guarantee the sum of £50 to the .New Zealand Association. The New Zealand Association stands out; it will neither gain nor lose anything. Given fine Miather, at eaoh centre, the associations concerned should each receive some small profit. But it is a gamble. N.Z. AND AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. The above championships, which 1 are to be held at Hastings — the former o,w the 26th, 27th, and 28th December, and the latter on tho 30th and 31st December and Ist January—will be played on six courts provided by the Hastings Club, wirioh has guaranteed the New Zealand As6Oiua* tion against loss, but tho olub will receive half t th«» net proceeds above £tV). The combined meetings should easily show a profit of £100, ' whioh will leayO the Hastings Club £20. So the club will receive Us 1 l-3d per court per day. The association has indeed made a wonderful agreement— dirt oheqp and no risks, Will next year see the New Zealand meeting put up to auction, and go to the highest bidder ? • BRITISH TEAM. Arrangements have beon made to play matches against, the four playerß who will represent the British Isles, but it is to be hoped that the entertainment side has not been overlooked. It cau be taken for granted that the Now Zealand Association will see to that, and bear the coat. Mr. H. M. Gore has been proposed by the governing body as the selector. He has not a very hard task, but his selection should be made a(j once, so that training and combination can be secured. It is quite possible that F. M. B. Fisher may bo able- to play, but unless he can find the time to train and be fit for such o hard contest, tho next best should be ghen consideration. Wellington, at «ny rate, should be sure of two players being selected. COVERED COURT PLAY. M. J. G. Ritchie put Stan Dpust, the 'Sydney player, out in the semi-final of the covered oourt championship singles in London. Doust (it i 3 clear he will not be in Australia for this Davis Cup) took the first sot, 8-6, lost the next, 6-2, but captured the third at 6-3. He looked a winner, but with the score "4 all" in the fourth set; he was taken with cramp, and had to retire. Mavrogordato put Ritchie down in tho final— B-6, 9-7, 6-2. These two players also captured,, the doublos, beating Doust and Gobert^-6-4, 3-6, 8-6, 8-6. Dr. Pockley and Mrs. Lambert Chambers captured the combined. SYDNEY TENNIS. Misses Jones and Dora Gordon won tho doubles ohampionship at the Metropolitan Meeting iv Sydney, beating Mrs. Ford (nee Kellet Baker) and Miss Williamci (previous holders), 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. Miss Williams was in. New Zealand last season, and showed good doubles form. A. B. Jones and Mis 3 Gordon also won the combined championship. A. F. WILDING. Wilding has not given up play completely, as ho competed at Deanville, and bent R. and H. Kleinschroth, and W. H. Laurontz in the singles In the doubles Laurenti and Gerinot beat Decugis and Wilding in sets straight. Mdlle. BroQuedis, who showed fine form in the Olympic singles, beat Mrs. Hillyard in the fin»l of the ladies' singles. . DAVIS CUP. The personnel of the Australasian team has not been made public as yet, but those under consideration by the sole selector, Normtvn Brookes, will be found as follows ;— "Brookoj, Dunlop, Heath, A. B. Jones, Horace Rice, Lycett, and Ollivier. Brookes has a. great fancy for Lycett as a double player, and should Dunlop not be right up to form, Melbourne's sensational, dashing player may just get_ in. Unless Lycett' h»» improved iiis staying powers, "Huka" gives, him no change (even in the doubles). ' He was always brilliant for, say, two Or three sets at the most. After that his strength sank—completely sapped by his continual vigorous methods of play. Jones has been doing well of late., He won the Metropolitan Championship Singles at Sydney last week. He may be better than Rice, but is the latter going-ofi? Rice has not youth on his side, and that may be where Jones had the advantage. Brookes is not likely to seleot a player of the "fireworks" standard— he will want men capable x>f coming along in a fifth set, with plenty of grit and stamina to stand oil any rush that the British bull dogs may have left. New Zealanders hoge to ee6 Olliriar given a ohance, but should he b© passed o*er, it will be for the simple reason that he is not yet quito class enough. One thing— he has plenty of time to get there later on. If he \t selected it will be for his single play, and he will have to prove himself better than Heath", Jones, and Rice to hay& a chance. If he does not get a hit at the Englishmen in the Davis Cup, he will for certain be able to show what he can do against them in the matches played in New Zealand.