It's just like the Des 'n' Gerry show at Wimbledon, as all the world's best tennis talent bay for a crack at yet another British hopeful - you! Only, unlike the real thing, you actually stand a chance of achieving glory, even winning the Grandslam! So limber up, put on those Reeboks and drink plenty of that yukkie barley water stuff. It's time for a knock up.

Out on the court you take over just as the last set is about to begin, so this is for the match. You get to serve first and the drama is all set to unfold. The spectators are hushed (either that or asleep) and the two players are busy psyching each other out, gunfighters in white cotton shorts.

Service couldn't be easier, all you do is bung the ball up and belt it. It always goes in - a touch of realism healthily ignored. Once the game's underway, you can send your player scurrying around in any direction to line up your back and forehand shots. All you've got to do (on the easy level at least) is just get near enough to hit the darned thing, and Robert is your mother's brother.

What's that, you say? Sounds so simple it's bound to be boring? You couldn't be more wrong! In no time at all you'll find yourself planning a couple of shots in advance and trying to outwit the computer opposition. Even complete tennis haters (like me!) are soon wooed into the complexity of this "simple" sports sim. You'll be waiting for that moment when the other guy makes a slip and you charge into the net poised for the kill, eager to smash the ball back so fast they're not even going to see it, let alone hit it!

Doubles adds yet another dimension to the gameplay. The challenge of playing with a friend is offset by the merry confusion caused when two identical players are on the same side of the net. Once positional problems have been overcome, though, careful and conservative play results in you becoming an almost unbeatable (well I did say almost!) team.

The four main shots in your armoury are the volley, lob, top and back spin. Used together with a correctly timed fore/back hand stroke and even a computer can be wrong-footed time and time again. The hitch (yes, there had to be a hitch, didn't there?) is that things happen rather faster on the court than in the text book, so even the most inspired set up can be ruined by a lack of concentration. What could have been a great forehand smash to the left hand corner so often turns into a backhand headed for row G seat 13.

The controls are simple on a joystick: forward to come over the top of the ball, backward to strike it underneath, with the trigger to tell the player when to make contact. Forehand and back is simply a matter of holding the 'stick to the respective side. But remember that holding the racquet on the left means you'll drive the ball across the court to the right, so be careful when lining up your line drives and it's match point.

Better than the real thing in many respects, a Passing Shot game win sees a tennis ball creature burst into tears of frustration (not that real pro's would behave in such childish fashion, surely?). Line calls are decisive, but you can't help feeling that the machine has been programmed to make the occasional odd decision just to add spice, but always on your points!

The tour takes you through four different locations which means you've to play on both clay and grass. The different surfaces require new tactics and so a whole new learning curve begins when you reach the 'States, and you switch from the green to the red stuff. The series concludes in a three match thriller at Wimbledon, which takes us neatly back to Des 'n' Gerry.

A real sport sim, this actually makes you appreciate the sport rather than ripping off the most recognisable bits and calling it a game. You will soon develop enough skill to bypass the easy opponents and go for the real tough stuff, where speeds increase and every shot is just that little better disguised. Will you win and get that revolting plate they keep trying to foist on people at Wimbledon? Or will you be left shouting at your monitor that it cannot be serious, man. there was chalk dust, everyone could see that there was chalk dust, the goddam ball was good?

Passing Shot serves up an ace at a forehand stroke it takes over from the much harder Matchpoints. Game, set and match to Passing Shot!

Bad light won't stop play!

Win a match.

Graphics 65% P. Player sprites move well. N. Mostly just white and green.

Sonics 70% P. Brilliant theme - just like the TV! N. No crowd or tennis-type noises.

Grab Factor 80% P. Much easier than the real thing! P. Six different games in one.

Staying Power 72% P. Four tournaments to play in. P. Four levels of skill.

Overall 76% A great sporting moment for the CPC.

Trenton Webb