If both players have won three strokes, the score is called deuce; and the next stroke won by either player is scored advantage for that player. If the same player win the next stroke, he wins the game; if he lose the next stroke, the score is again called deuce; and so on until either player win the two strokes immediately following the score of deuce, when the game is scored for that player.

NOTE. It is the usual custom to call the Server's score first whether he win or lose the strike. By this plan a mistake as to the winner of the stroke called is at once detected.

22. The player who first wins six games wins a set; except as below:If both players win five games, the score is called games-all; and the next game won by either player is scored advantage-game for that player. If the same player win the next game, he wins the set; if he lose the next game, the score is again called games-all; and so on until either player win the two games immediately following the score of gamesall, when he wins the set.

NOTE.-Players may agree not to play advantage-sets, but to decide the set by one game after arriving at the score of games-all.

23. The players shall change sides at the end of every set, but the Umpire, on appeal from either party before the toss for choice, may direct the players to change sides at the end of every game, if, in his opinion, either side have a distinct advantage, owing to the sun, wind, or any other accidental cause; but, if the appeal be made after a match has been begun, the Umpire may only direct the players to change sides at the end of every game of the odd and concluding set.

24. When a series of sets are played, the player who was Server in the last game of one set shall be Striker-out in the first game of the next.

ODDS.

25. A BISQUE is one stroke, which may be claimed by the receiver of the odds at any time during a set ; except as below :—

A bisque may not be taken after the service has been delivered. The Server may not take a bisque after a fault, but the Striker-out may do so. 26. One or more bisques may be given in augmentation or diminution of other odds.

27. HALF-FIFTEEN is one stroke given at the beginning of the second and every subsequent alternate game of a set.

28. FIFTEEN is one stroke given at the beginning of every game of a set. 29. HALF-THIRTY is one stroke given at the beginning of the first game, two strokes at the beginning of the second game; and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of a set.

30. THIRTY is two strokes given at the beginning of every game of a set. 31. HALF-FORTY is two strokes given at the beginning of the first game, three strokes at the beginning of the second game; and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of a set.

32. FORTY is three strokes given at the beginning of every game of a set. 33. HALF-COURT: the players having agreed into which Court the giver of the odds shall play, the latter loses a stroke if the ball, returned by him, drop outside any of the lines which bound that Court.

THE THREE-HANDED AND FOUR-HANDED GAMES.

34. The above laws shall apply to the three-handed and four-handed games, except as below.

35. For the three-handed and four-handed games, the Court is 36 feet in width. Within the Side-Lines, at a distance of 4 feet from them, and parallel with them, are drawn the Service-Side-Lines, IK and LM. The ServiceLines are not drawn beyond the points I, L, K, M, towards the Side-Lines. In other respects, the Court is similar to that which is described in Law I.

36. In the three-handed game the single player shall serve

nate game.

in every

alter

37. In the four-handed game, the pair who have the right to serve in the first game may decide which partner shall do so, and the opposing pair may decide similarly for the second game. The partner of the player who served in the first game shall serve in the third; and the partner of the player who served in the second game shall serve in the fourth, and so on in the same order in all the subsequent games of a set or series of sets.

38. The players shall take the service alternately throughout each game; no player shall receive or return a service delivered to his partner; and the order of service and of striking-out once arranged shall not be altered, nor shall the Strikers-out change Courts to receive the service before the end of the set.

39. The ball served must drop within the Service-Line, Half-Court-Line, and Service-Side-Line of the Court, which is diagonally opposite to that from which it was served, or upon any such line.

40. It is a fault if the ball do not drop as provided in Law XXXIX.

In Lawn Tennis Tournaments the competitors are drawn, and the play conducted on the plan laid down in the revised regulations for the management of Lawn Tennis Meetings published at 346, Strand.

net.

HINTS FOR BEGINNERS.-(1) Hold the racket with an open face, i.e., with the striking face inclined somewhat upwards, instead of perpendicular to the ground. (2) Stand with the feet about half a yard apart, the shoulder pointed towards the net, the face looking towards the side of the court. (3) Strike from the shoulder. Keep the arm extended, the wrist straight, elbow and knees slightly bent. When taking the ball near the ground the knees must be considerably bent. Do not too soon attempt to strike hard. (4) Endeavour to send the ball within 2 feet or 3 feet of the top of the net (but not too close for fear of playing it into the net), and do not spoon it up in the air. [In double games where one player stands near the net this does not apply to the return; the ball must then be sent high enough to clear the front man's reach, or placed to one or other side of him, with a "smash," if possible, which almost precludes the possibility of a return.] (5) Return the ball, as a rule, as it is falling, and when near the ground. (6) In volleying at the net, the ball scarcely requires to be hit at all; sufficient strength is obtained by gently approaching the racket face to the ball, so as to drop it close to the Of late years the Messrs. Renshaw have introduced a plan of game in which volleys are given and returned with lightning speed, but this is quite beyond the scope of a beginner. Half-volleying consists in playing the ball when close to the ground, immediately after it has dropped. Volleys and half-volleys, as a rule, are only to be played when the ball cannot be conveniently taken on the bound, as they are difficult and uncertain strokes. (7) Learn to place the ball, i.e., to return it to any part of the adverse court, at will. To do this the stroke must be timed. Thus the striker is on the central line, his face looking to the right of the court. If he takes the ball just before it comes opposite his right shoulder, the return will be to the left of the central line. If he strikes when the ball is about opposite his shoulder, it will return parallel to the central line; if he waits until the ball has passed his shoulder, its direction will be more to the right of the central line. It is not necessary to shift the body in order to place the ball; but as the stroke, when the ball is in a line with the shoulder, gives the fullest command over the ball, it is advisable, when there is plenty of time, to shift the body slightly to the right or left to obtain this stroke. (8) The racket held with an open

EV

face should be carried downwards and forwards on to the ball. The open face gives sufficient elevation to the ball to carry it over the net, and the cut (as it is called) enables the striker to return the ball more sharply, as a cut ball drops more quickly to the ground than one that is not cut; hence it can be played more swiftly than a ball that is not cut, and so the difficulty of the opponent's next return is increased. Cut can be put on all balls struck low or at a medium height from the ground. When a ball is not purely cut, but played with what is called overhand or underhand twist (ie., by striking the ball on the side instead of below), the effect is to cause it to describe a lateral curve in the air, and to bound to the right or left when it touches the ground. This mode of striking the ball is useful under certain circumstances of the game, but twist is a stroke that should be sparingly employed by beginners. (9) Watch your opponent's racket; if you see him cutting or putting on twist, make allowance for it thus: If the ball is purely cut, stand well back from it, as it will rise very little, and will shoot after it comes into contact with the ground; if it is twisted overhand, stand almost in front of the spot where it will drop, as its bound will be from you; if it is twisted underhand (which you will distinguish from a purely cut ball by the lateral curve taken by the twisted ball), stand well to the left of the spot on which the ball will drop, as it will bound to you.

THE SINGLE GAME AS NOW PLAYED.-To play this game in perfection the player should be equally good in the following points: (1) In the service he should be able to serve one ball overhand at a smashing pace, and if he makes a fault, to serve the second with certainty clear of the net, but still at such a pace as to make the return difficult to place. Lobbing the second ball is a mistake, because it enables the return to be placed anywhere at the will of the striker-out. A fast underhand service, with a slight cut to keep down the ball, is often very effectual, and has the advantage that it does not tire the arm nearly so much as the overhand. (2) In returning the ball the player should be able at discretion to play it on the bound or in volley, but the latter is seldom effectual except at a great pace called "the smash." As introduced by the Messrs. Renshaw, the plan is to stand a foot or two behind the service-line, which will command the ball either way, and then to use judgment in the selection according to the nature of the return. From this position an active player can command any ball, whether dropped gently over the net, or placed near either side-line, while a ball intended for the base-line must be volleyed. Very few players approach the Renshaws in this allround play, and most are deficient in the command of the ball in the air. Hence there are few who attempt to rival them in this plan of game, but when mastered it is very telling. Even they often fail in attempting "a smash," the ball falling into the net instead of passing over it. There is one great advantage in the volley, viz., that it entirely counteracts all benefit to be derived from a "cut" or "twist."

THE DOUBLE GAME may be played either (a) by both partners volleying when they can, the strikers-out both standing near the service-line, or (b) by one standing at the net and the other near the service-line, or (c) by both standing well back. The usual modern style is for one striker-out to stand near the net and the other a few feet behind the service-line, while as regards the server's partner it is usual for him to stand near the net, and leave the whole of the back of the court for the server to command. The partners should not poach on each other's ground, which is doubly bad, because it

leads to an uncertain style of play, neither doing his best, and moreover takes the poacher a long way off his proper ground, which is defenceless in the

next return.

LAWN TENNIS IMPLEMENTS.-Since the reduction of the POSTS from 4 feet to 3 feet 6 inches the difficulty of keeping them upright has largely increased.

The old fashioned rope stays have been for a considerable time discarded as being liable to catch the feet, and the iron stay propping up the post from the inside, or the long foot which has the same effect, only leads to its being drawn out of the ground unless the back is kept down by some means which will not allow it to rise. The "Cavendish" posts made by Ayres have been objected to on this score, and he has now done away with the iron pins, and substituted a powerful screw, which is left in the ground and allows the post to be drawn away from it for the mowing machine to pass, having a slot cut in the post on purpose. This post, provided with a small windlass, is perfectly efficient; the only other successful plan is to drive an iron socket into the ground, which is provided with a flange to keep it from leaning. In the "Gardener" and "North" posts the flange is perpendicular, but in the "Ramrod" it lies flat on the ground, and is still more effectual.

RACKETS. Mr. Tate has long had the reputation of being ahead of his competitors in this department, and most of the public players swear by him. It is, however, difficult to obtain one of his make, as he only provides a limited number in each year. Ordinary players are therefore compelled to look elsewhere, and in my opinion will be well served if they get a "Demon" from Slazenger and Co., of Cannon Street, London, or in the North from Messrs. Lunn, of Horncastle. A great feature in the "Demon" is the gut, which is of a very strong make-peculiar to the firm.

BALLS.-Hitherto no one has touched those made by Ayres, of Aldersgate Street; either his Champion quality at 14s. a dozen, or his Cyprus quality at half the money, being unapproachable. Messrs. Slazenger have brought out a red rubber uncovered ball, which is the best for wet grass or for winter courts which I have yet seen.

MARKERS.-The Eclipse made by Jaques and Son, of Hatton Garden, or the Cirencester with a broad band are the best in the market.

THE NETS are now always tarred, and are usually of Bridport make. The Manchester Cotton cords are excellent.

THE CORD at the top of the net for straining is now generally made either of galvanized steel at 35., or of copper at 6s. If of flax or cotton the strain must be relaxed before rain, or the cord will inevitably break. A hem about two inches wide of unbleached canvas is added at the top of the net to catch the eye.

In the matter of PRESSES a very handy arrangement called the Leyton has been introduced by Messrs. Lunn, of Horncastle. It is a combined bag and press, and does away with the need of carrying the press independently of the bag when on a journey.

BADMINTON.

BADMINTON requires a ground similar to lawn tennis, only smaller, viz. 42 feet by 20 feet; posts 6 feet high; net 5 feet high. Shuttlecocks are used instead of balls; they should be about 5 inches in height, and about I ounce in weight. Some players prefer shuttlecocks only three inches high,