LAWN TENNIS

(By " Huka.'1)

Since 1886 the New Zealand fixtures for the championship evente have been run off with constant regularity^ but there is now a break—there will be no champions for the year 1915 " All know the reason why. and the. New Zealand Association did the right thing in cutting the meeting out. There is a sinoare hope that when December, 1916, comes round it wild be known that again the championships are to be,played; for many reasons it is to be hoped they will be played as usual, for it will mean that victory has oome to the British Empire;

MEETINGS HELD

Some tournaments have been held, but they ba.ve not been run for the honour of gaining championships—the champions are mostly all away belting hard with something more deadly than a tennis ball, and those who appear as winner* have only been induoed to play to help things on a littlo and keep the game alive for the boy 6 when they return. ;

ABOUT CHAMPIONS.

W Johnston, who won iho National. Championship of America, is what one would call a good, very good, little chap, for he only weighs about eight stone. He somewhat resembles Gore, of England, .in build and style. Little as he is, he can " hit some," and when he does hit with all his might, which is very often, then the ball has about the same pace as an evil pom-pom ball has when it is driven after some enemy Johnston times wonderfully, and to look at him one would not fanoy that he Tiad any "tennis punch" at all He should have beaten M'Loughlin at the Exposition Tournament—it was " 2 seta all," and he led 5-1 in the fifth set, but Mao was after . that set in true "comet" style, whereas Johnston was too cautious, when he had the match in his pocket. M'Loughlin. is not himself this year. He ha? two wins in for the National Cup, and a third will win the cup permanently for him. 'He is, without doubt, the star of the United States when at his best, . and is still what one would call a young man. There is tims enough' in the next five years for him to make that cup bis

own, but "Huka" predicts, all going well, that ho will clinch it at the next gathering. FRENCH PLAYERS. Henry Wallet, president of the French lawn tennis governing body, writes to a friend in England as follows:—"Be assured of our firm determination to go with you to the end. We have no doubt as to victory. To fight and to conquer with our friends—the English and Belgians— is what we ardently desire. If, thanks to Heaven, we have not to deplore the death of our champions (it seems that the ■ best of all, the late unconquerable Wilding, has paid for them ,all), our grief has been great in the loss of Chelli, of the Lawn Tennis Club de France, and of dv Bosquet and young Kindberg. Another young nlayer in Laing has gone, and abo Andre ■ Puget—killed in action. M. Germot has been wounded in the head; R Wallet, whose leg was broken at Maubeuge, is a prisoner of war Jean Poreo and Meny have also been wounded. M. Decugis is still in it, motor driving for a major of an army corps; Andre Gobertis observation officer to the artillery, and has been promoted to adjutant. G. Gault runs an armoured car, whilst J. Samazeulh^ A Canet, and Manset are all hitting it in somewhe/e in Franco. W. Laurentz, the, young play er who came on with such a rußh a few years ago, is 'serving in the Belgian Army. F. Poulin is attached to the British Army in France. The secretary, of t\ie association (M. Poree) was badly wounded, and ia a prisoner "«

Joker-. Well, poor Ezra Smith, who has been looking for a good opening these long years, has found one'at last. Croker: So he found an opening-, did he? Joker: Yes. The flowers were beautiful.