George Standing
of New York, for £2,000, and in 1898 the champion at tennis was called upon to defend his title by T.
Pettitt, and the match for a similar stake was played at Brighton, in October, 1898, and resulted in another victory for Latham. a was From 1898-1904 there was no championship match; then C. "Punch" Fairs, who is the present champion, challenged Latham.
From that match until the present day championship matches have been numerous -no less than six in seven years. In 1904 Fairs failed to defeat Latham; in 1905 he challenged again, and was successful; in the following year he defended his title against Garçin, of Paris. In 1907 Latham again entered the list, and won back the title, but he retired the next year, and since then Fairs has been champion. Latham, who is about forty-six years of age, may be regarded as the greatest of all modern players, and in power of return, quickness, and judgment he was at his best unequalled.
Next to Barre he must rank as the greatest of all time.
C. "Punch" Fairs, the present champion, was born in 1874, and learned his tennis at Prince's Club. He is a beautiful player, with a smooth, easy swing of the racket, and a wonderful "drop" service. In style he may be said to have followed the traditions of C. Saunders, from whom he learned much of the game. 2. 1885.-Tom Pettitt beat George Lambert at Hampton Court by 7 sets to 5. 3. 1890.-Tom Pettitt beat C. Saunders at Dublin 4. 1895.-Peter Latham beat C. Saunders at Brighton, 7 sets to 2. 5. 1898.-Peter Latham beat Tom Pettitt at Brighton, 7 sets to o. 6. 1904.-Latham beat C. "Punch" Fairs at Brighton, 7 sets to 5. 7. 1905.-Fairs beat Latham at Queen's Club and Prince's Club, 5 sets to I. 8. 1906.-Fairs beat Garçin at Brighton, 7 sets to 4. 9. 1907.-Latham beat Fairs at Brighton, 7 sets to 3.
IO. 1908.-Fairs beat E. Johnson at Brighton, 7 sets to 2.
II. 1910. Fairs beat G. F. Covey at Brighton, 7 sets to 6. as Unfortunately, we have no space to give more than the briefest mention of the best amateur players of modern days follows: Between 1800 and 1850 the best English players seem to have been Mr.
Denison and Mr. C. G. Taylor. From about 1860-1884 Mr. J. M. Heathcote, who began tennis at Cambridge in 1852, was facile princeps. He was followed by Mr.
Alfred Lyttelton, who became as great, and others of later days to be mentioned are Sir Edward Grey, Mr. H. E. Crawley, Mr. E. H. Miles, Mr. V. H. Pennell, and the present amateur champion, Mr. N. S.
Lytton.
The best amateur America has produced is Mr. J. Gould, now only about twentyfour years of age. He beat Mr. Miles for the English amateur championship in 1907 and 1908, and he, Mr. Heathcote, and Mr.
Lyttelton may be classed as the three best amateurs tennis has known in the last eighty years. Mr. Miles may have been their equal possibly as a match player, but as a stylist is not to be mentioned with them.
For amateurs there are two competitions in which all tennis-players take a keen interest. One is known as the "M.C.C. Challenge Prizes." These were instituted in 1867 by the Marylebone Club. The prizes, known as the "gold" prize and the "silver" prize, are played for annually at Lord's in the months of June and July. In 1896 the competition, which up to that year had been limited to members of the club, was thrown open to the world. From 1867 to 1881 (fifteen consecutive years) Mr.
J. M. Heathcote was the winner of the