Previous Next

I used to dream of being the next John McEnroe... I'd practise my strokes against the garden wall for hours on end (and play tennis too!). In the end, I never quite mastered the backhand, but I got the tantrums down to a tee [You cannot be serious! - Ed].

And I always watched Wimbledon on the telly, even if it was just to see the lady players in those short skirts (apart from old 'muscles' Navratilova!). My particular favourite was Carling Bassette. She wasn't bad, she was even seeded once [No comment! - Ed]. I hear she's got kids now.

But now I play tennis like a true professional. And you can too! Just buy my latest bestseller. "Play Tennis The Phil Kind Way"... Erm, maybe not, but everyone can hit a cross-court volley in Pro Tennis Tour.

Mind you, hitting the fast-moving ball takes a bit of getting used to. It's just as well there's a practice mode with a machine churning out balls in six different patterns. There's also an option to practise serving: a tricky task involving quickly guiding a small cross into the service box.

When you've mastered the various strokes possible (including lobs and smashes), you can enter any of the four Grandslam tournaments (including Wimbledon), taking on computer players of varying ability. Alternatively, you can play against a friend.

Of course, the question you're asking is, how does it compare to the recently re-released International 3D Tennis? Well, it may be simulating the same sport, but it's a totally different sort of game. International is much easier to get into as it automatically positions your player for every shot. This leads to a more strategic game with long rallies. Pro is much faster paced, requiring ultraquick reactions and snap decisions.

Personally, I have to say I slightly prefer International, but Pro is still a definite buy at this price - you'd probably pay as much for one strawberry at Wimbledon!