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Welcome to the newest and best edition of video game tennis. My how things have progressed from Pong to Racket Attack to Virtua Tennis, Sega's newest entry in the field. Regardless of whether or not you play tennis, watch it on television, or even like the sport, this game will impress you. Unlike many of the tennis games in the past, you won't be stumbling around the court praying to simply hit the ball. After all, that's what real life is for! Here in Dreamcast world, you've already been invited to the professional tour; all you have to do is win. And it won't be easy.

Virtua Tennis boasts eight professional tennis players from around the world, as well as ten original players dreamed up by the minds at Sega. In addition to the arcade mode, from which the game is based, is an exhibition mode and a world circuit mode. You will have the opportunity in each mode to play singles or doubles on any tennis surface you can think of.

This guide focuses on the single player world circuit mode. Here you will find all the info you need on the training levels, players, pro shops, and the matches you'll be entering. It's important to note that your advancement to the top spot in the world rankings will enhance your experiences in arcade and exhibition modes. That being said, check out the player profiles, select your pro, and get started! You've got a lot of training to do if you're to ever become #1.

And don’t forget; noone ever excelled at a sport without first mastering the fundamentals!

Fundamentals

Welcome to the wonderful sport of tennis. And we're not talking about playing down at the country club with Muffy and Brad either. We're talking about serious, hard nose, professional tennis. Get your racket and meet me on the court. Pronto!

This section of the guide is broken into three sections: Rookies, Amateurs, and Professionals. These designations coincide with your familiarity with the game, not your skill level. If you've already broken into the top ten move along, there's nothing for you to see here.

RookiesIf this is one of your first experiences with the game of tennis, you've come to the right place. Tennis, at its essence, is a very simple game. Players hit a yellow ball back and forth over a net with a racket. If the ball doesn't bounce on your side after you hit it and does bounce twice after clearing the net, you get a point. Score in tennis is counted 0-15-30-40-game. Players take turns serving one “game” at a time. Virtua Tennis keeps the match lengths to a minimum, so learning about “sets” isn't necessary.

There are four primary shots in tennis: serve, lob, ground stroke, and smash. Serving is done at the start of each volley and consists of throwing the ball into the air and hitting it into the box diagonally across the court from you. A lob is when you hit the ball rather softly and aim it into the air. A more powerful stroke than the lob is the ground stroke. This consists of swinging the racket parallel to the playing surface and sending the ball fast and low over the net. Finally, swinging the racket over your head when near the net performs the smash. This results in your driving the ball nearly straight down into the opponent's court. Almost always resulting in a point for you.

Shots and other commands are performed in Virtua Tennis by using the following controls:

Directional Pad Movement, aim ball while preparing for a shotA button Groundstroke/SmashB button LobX button LobY button - Change Camera Angle (1 player only)L/R Trigger Change COM Partner Strategy

Serving: Use the A, B, or X button to toss the ball in the air. Then press the A, B, or X button along with the D-pad to aim the shot.

Shot Basics: Use the D-pad to aim the upcoming shot. Being well positioned for a shot, with time to prepare will result in a harder shot. Awkwardly lunging for the ball results in weaker shots. The D-Pad, pressed UP or DOWN can also be used to aim the shot deep or shallow into the opponent's court.

AmateursOK, you've got the basics down. Now it's time to learn a bit more about Virtua Tennis' modes of play. Virtua Tennis, being ported from the arcade, as expected has an Arcade Mode. In addition to the Arcade Mode, are Exhibition and World Circuit Modes of play. This section of the guide will give you the low-down on each of them.

Arcade Mode 1 to 4 PlayersJust like the coin-op version, this is a pure game of fast-paced, short-lived, tennis matches. The format is simple: win and you move on. Win all five matches and you are the Arcade King. This mode is great for playing with friends as it allows up to four players in doubles action. Or, for those of you with only a little brother to play against, you can play one-on-one. But don't forget; you'll need to ditch everyone you know and beat this thing solo if you ever want to unlock “Master” (normal, hard, or very hard difficulties only). It's important to note that a second player can join in anytime by pressing START on the second controller.

Exhibition Mode 1 to 4 PlayersThis is where to go when you're just looking to have some fun. There's nothing at stake here, so just sit back and enjoy. Then what makes this mode so special, you ask. Customization. Exhibition Mode allows you to modify all of the game's settings from starting positions, to deuce rules, to the strength of your COM partner in doubles. Want even more choices? Unlock all of the stages, wears, and players in World Circuit Mode and you can play anyway you like.

World Circuit Mode 1 PlayerLast but not least, World Circuit Mode is the reason we shell out the dough and buy this game. It happens to also be what the rest of this guide is devoted to. Here you get to choose a professional player (before you get your hopes up, there is no Andre Agassi nor is there an Ana Kournikova) and take him from the

th300 ranking to the top spot. Along the way you will have to compete in 22

matches, contract doubles partners, complete 24 training missions, and beat out some serious competition. Press the START button anytime while on the World Map screen to check your progress.

ProfessionalsBy now you're ready for some tips to help you play at a winning level. Although every volley of every match will be a unique event, there are several tips and strategies that you should keep in the forefront of your mind when playing the game.

In the earlier levels of play, when your character is slower, be sure to immediately begin moving towards the center of the court after each shot. Otherwise, you will have little hope of returning those cross-court shots from your opponent.

Try not to rush the net too often. It is a common mistake in tennis to creep up to the net, leaving the backcourt susceptible to any lob shot your opponent can muster up. This problem is compounded in Virtua Tennis by the inability to backpedal. Try and stay in the rear half of the court and keep the ball in front of you.

Speaking of playing at the net, if you are at the net and your opponent lobs itDON'T SWING! You're not going to hit it. Begin chasing it's shadow to the baseline and get ready for that between-the-legs shot. Often the only way to get a winning shot in is to work your opponent into the corner and then go cross-court on him. Try returning his serve deep down the line. Then hit it there again. Finally, on the third swing, slice it cross-court and shallow. This will work with even the most skilled opponents.

Take your opponent off the court with your serve. Sure it's awesome to watch Pete Sampras at the US Open, serving bomb after bomb straight down the centerline. But I got news for you: you're not Pete Sampras! You will have far better success in Virtua Tennis by serving it hard and into the corners, preferably as shallow as possible. By doing this, your opponent must completely leave the court to return it. When he does, go cross-court for the point.

In the later matches, when you have enough speed to run with big boys, you can

begin to be a little more patient. While it's always a good idea to lean towards the center of the court, you don't want to commit too early. Your final opponents are smart enough that if they see you go left, they will surely go right.

One common denominator in all of the matches that you will play is this: he who runs around the least will win in the end. In the majority of volleys throughout this game, the player who spent the match attempting to chase down cross-court shots ends up the loser. Establish your position and keep your opponent on the run. Eventually he will dive for a ball, leaving half the court vacant.

Finally, when playing doubles, let the weaknesses of your own style of play become your partner's strategy. If you constantly find yourself stranded at the net, have your opponent play baseline. This way you will effectively give yourself a safety net. This is especially valuable when playing on the rear court (top half) of the screen, as judging the distance of lobs tends to be more difficult.

Pro Shops

So what are you going to do with all that virtual money you win? Spend it, of course! The Pro Shops in Virtua Tennis are filled with things for you to blow—I mean spend—your prize winnings on. From $1,000 sports drink to $100,000 professional players, it’s all here. Looking for some spiffy duds, or where to unlock a nice hard court, look no further than the Pro Shops.

Cape ShopLocated in South Africa, this is the first shop available to the wannabe professional player. Good thing airfare isn't included in the price.

PlayerSingth $100,000Costa $100,000StageRussia $100,000Tennis WearWear No. 09 $10,000Wear No. 10 $10,000Wear No. 11 $10,000Wear No. 12 $10,000PartnerInoue $20,000Altman $40,000Etc.New Strings $1,000Sports Drink $1,000

South ShopLocated in Brazil, the South Shop shines with some of the more, shall we say, unique tennis apparel. Wear No. 06 is a great buy if you dig the look of surf trunks and red polo shirts. It must be that Rio influence. Also, Tinbergen is an awesome doubles partner for $20,000. Give him a whirl as he may surprise you!

PlayerTesla $100,000Altman $100,000

StageGermany $100,000Tennis WearWear No. 05 $10,000Wear No. 06 $10,000Wear No. 07 $10,000Wear No. 08 $10,000PartnerTinbergen $20,000Costa $40,000Etc.New Strings $2,000Sports Drink $2,000

North ShopThe North Shop is located in Alaska. If clay courts are what you're after, look no further than this shop. The Spain International can be yours for the princely sum of $100,000.

PlayerTinbergen $100,000Euler $100,000StageSpain $100,000Tennis WearWear No. 01 $10,000Wear No. 02 $10,000Wear No. 03 $10,000Wear No. 04 $10,000PartnerVentura $20,000Etc.New Strings $3,000Sports Drink $3,000

Asia ShopThe Asia Shop is obviously located in Asia. More specifically, it's located in Nepal. Hmmm . . . monks playing tennis. Now that would be a sight! Maybe the shop's Himalayan location is the reason behind the outrageous fees for sport's drink. Nobody wants to bonk, but $4,000 is a little steep?

PlayerVentura $100,000StageSweden $100,000Tennis WearWear No. 13 $10,000Wear No. 14 $10,000Wear No. 15 $10,000Wear No. 16 $10,000PartnerTesla $20,000Euler $40,000Etc.New Strings $4,000Sports Drink $4,000

Pacific ShopAloha! Welcome to the fabulous islands of Hawaii, home of the Pacific Shop. You've been busy climbing the ranks of the tennis elite so kick up your feet and enjoy a Mai Tai on the house. It's the only thing you'll get cheap around here. Polynesian prices are a little out of hand, so I hope you held onto some of those earnings. Nevertheless, you'll want to pick up a new tennis partner here before you head onto the level 3 matches.

PlayerInoue $100,000StageJapan $100,000Tennis WearWear No. 17 $10,000Wear No. 18 $10,000

Wear No. 19 $10,000Wear No. 20 $10,000PartnerSingth $80,000Etc.New Strings $10,000Sports Drink $10,000

Players

When you first begin to play Virtua Tennis, you will only have the professional players available to pick from. As you move through the world circuit and accumulate your small fortune, you can use it unlock artificial players in the shops located around the map. This way, the next time you play in either of the other two modes, you will have more players to choose from. It's kind of funny when you think about it. You actually start with the pros and have to “buy” the fakes. Interesting.

Professional

PlayersWith eight professional tennis players in Virtua Tennis you shouldn't have any trouble picking someone you like. Granted, Pete Sampras is nowhere to be found, the guys (100% male game, sorry ladies) included are certainly no slouches. Philippoussis, Courier, and many others are all here to suit your style of play. If this is your first time playing, stick to the “all-around” players until you develop your own strategy. Then switch to a player who best fits it.

Throughout the world circuit mode, you will often find many of these pros in the level 3 matches at their respective country. Sometimes it will be singles, sometimes pairs. Depending on the locale, and who you select to play as, you may even run into a professional pairing in level 2 doubles play.

Virtua PlayersA total of ten Sega-generated players are also present in the game. In world circuit mode, you will play against them, contract them to be your doubles partner, and even “buy” them for later use. Two of these players, Master and King, will have to be unlocked by beating the game in arcade and world circuit modes, respectively.

Like the pros, each of the artificial players has particular strengths and weaknesses. Unless of course you're talking about King--he has no weaknesses.

King - You will unlock King by beating the entire world circuit mode. A glance at the stats menu while on the map will show X/9 players unlocked. He is the 9th.

Master - You can unlock Master by beating the arcade mode without losing a game. Also, it must be done on the normal difficulty setting or higher.

Training Levels

Any athlete will tell you, ‘you’re only as good as you train.’ Keep that in mind when you’re swinging away in the twenty-four training missions in Virtua Tennis. Yes, that’s right, twenty-four missions between eight different drills. There’s little reason to groan though, as each drill is uiquely original and results in noticeably improved tennis skills. Also, for those of you who eat this part of the game up, near-superhuman scores in each drill will unlock the remaining eight uniforms. Eight very different uniforms, trust me!

Requirements and tips for each of the drills are outlined here in alphabetical order. And if your new to the game, don’t get too bug-eyed looking at those level 3 scores. By the time you get to them in the game, your ranking and skills will be much improved. In fact, you may find that the drills get easier as you progress through the World Circuit.

Big Wall

1 ) 35 seconds, 10 large panels2) 30 seconds, 5 large panels, 5 small panels3) 25 seconds, 10 small panels

In the Big Wall exercise, you have to hit the ball into numbered panels on a large wall at center court. This drill emphasizes both shot types as well as precise aiming. Stay a step or two inside of the baseline and use your ground stroke to hit the bottom panels and the lob to knock out the upper ones. You shouldn't have any trouble with this one until level 3, when all of the panels are smaller.

BONUS: Wear No. 22 to those who beat level 3 with >5 seconds remaining.

Bull's Eye

1 ) 3,500 points2) 4,500 points3) 5,500 points

At the Bull's Eye training center your coach will hit 20 balls to you while you work

at landing them inside a giant target on the far court. Point values from outer ring to inner are as follows: 50 points, 150 points, 250 points, 500 points. This particular exercise gets easier as you move up in rankings. Regardless the level, stay in the rear half of the court and aim for the 250 points ring. You'll have a bigger target to aim for and will occasionally hit the bull's eye. You can rely on the ground stroke to get you through level 1, but switch to the lob shot in the later levels, when the coach's shots are more scattered.

BONUS: Wear No. 23 to those who beat level 3 with >7,000 points.

Cannon Ball

1 ) 40 seconds2) 35 seconds3) 30 seconds

Your sadistic Coach watches from the sidelines during this one. Here, 5 serving machines will fire a continuous stream of balls at you. Your job is to hit the machines with the balls to turn them off. The catch: if a red ball hits your body on e of the machines will turn back on. As you move through the levels in this drill, the frequency of red balls increases, their velocity is greater, and the positioning of the machines changes. Stay on the baseline, watch for those red balls, and when you swing, swing hard! Occasionally the ball will bounce and take out two machines at once.

BONUS: Wear No. 24 to those who beat level 3 with >10 seconds remaining.

Drum Shooter

1 ) 40 seconds2) 35 seconds

3) 30 seconds

Drum Shooter challenges your ability to precisely control your lob shot. Eight steel drums are set up on the far court (their orientation will change depending on the level) and you must lob balls hit by your coach into each of them. Stay in the middle of the court and lay off the ground strokes. The later levels not only allow less time, but the drums are moved closer to the net. To hit the closer ones, hold DOWN on the directional pad when you shoot. And definitely, definitely, don't crowd the net!

BONUS: Wear No. 26 to those who beat level 3 with >10 seconds remaining.

Giant Ball

1 ) 3 balls2) 4 balls3) 6 balls

In each level of Giant Ball, your coach will hit balls to you for 25 seconds. Your job is to use the power of your shot to propel humungous balls beyond the baseline on the far court. Use your devastating ground stroke and try not to let the balls roll up on the net. Also, your first shot is very important. Aim dead-center on the ball up front to bounce the rear ones off the court. An awkward shot may land the balls wedged against the wall and the net. That would be bad.

BONUS: Wear No. 28 to those who beat level 3 with >10 seconds remaining.

Pin Crasher

1 ) 60 points2) 80 points3) 100 points

Pin Crasher is one of the most original aspects of this game, is a breeze to beat, and doesn't require a huge explanation. You have 5 “frames” to serve the ball into the pins on the far court. Scoring is done bowling style. Serve it hard into that front pin and watch those puppies topple!

BONUS: Wear No. 27 to those who beat level 3 with a strike in every frame.

Return Ace

1 ) 6 targets2) 9 target3) 12 targets

Return Ace is set to challenge the control you have over your return. Aim for the front target on the opposite side and swing that stick as hard as you can. Your coach will serve 10 balls over the net. Your job is to wail on them. In level 3, a huge shot will see several targets bounce all over the place, knocking each other around.

BONUS: Wear No. 21 to those who beat level 3 in <2 balls.

Smash Box

1 ) 6 targets, 35 seconds2) 9 targets, 30 seconds3) 12 targets, 25 seconds

Like Return Ace, your coach will hit balls over the net to you, while you attempt to knock the targets around. Here, however, you must knock the targets completely off the court to score. Keep near the net and swing hard. But beware! Aiming a smash is a delicate matter. It is very easy to hold the directional pad for too long, resulting in too hard of an angle.

Just tap the D-pad when taking the shot.

BONUS: Wear No. 25 to those who beat level 3 with >10 seconds remaining.

Matches

Since the opposition will change depending on whom you are playing as, this section of the guide can only outline the conditions for each match of the game. For strategies and pointers see the Fundamentals section of the guide.

Trial Matches

The majority of your Virtua Tennis experience is going to be spent circling the globe, trying to ever increase your world ranking. To get to No. 1, you're going to have to win each of the matches listed here. On the way, to increase your cash payout, concentrate on the matches “Trial Shot”. Winning shots of this variety add to your earnings after the match.

For the most part, the level 2 trial matches play with the “No Advantage” rules in effect. Another common trend is for you to face professional opponents in each court's final match.

The matches are listed alphabetically by their host country's name. Depending on your playing preference and your penchant for training missions, you can travel from court to court in virtually any order.

Australia Challenge Hard CourtLevel 1: DoublesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Smash

Level 2: DoublesDuration: 3 gamesTrial Shot: Smash

Level 3: DoublesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: SmashLikely Pro Opponents: Philippoussis & Kafelnikov

The Old England Championships Grass CourtLevel 1: SinglesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Serve

Level 2: SinglesDuration: 3 gamesTrial Shot: Serve

Level 3: SinglesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: ServeLike Pro Opponents: Henman

French Cup Clay CourtLevel 1: DoublesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Stroke

Level 2: SinglesDuration: 3 gamesTrial Shot: Stroke

Level 3: DoublesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: StrokeLikely Pro Opponents: Johansson & Pioline

Germany Men's Indoor Hard CourtLevel 1: SinglesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Volley

Level 2: DoublesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: VolleyLikely Pro Opponents: Haas & Courier

Russia Tennis Classic Carpet CourtLevel 1: SinglesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Serve

Level 2: SinglesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: ServeLikely Pro Opponent: Kafelnikov

Spain International Clay CourtLevel 1: DoublesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Stroke

Level 2: DoublesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: StrokeLikely Pro Opponents: Moya & Henman

Sweden Grand Prix Hard CourtLevel 1: DoublesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Smash

Level 2: SinglesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: SmashLikely Pro Opponent: Johansson

U.S. Super Tennis Hard CourtLevel 1: SinglesDuration: 2 gamesTrial Shot: Volley

Level 2: SinglesDuration: 3 gamesTrial Shot: Volley

Level 3: SinglesDuration: 4 gamesTrial Shot: VolleyLikely Pro Opponent: Courier

Final Matches

As you complete the last doubles and singles matches you will unlock the Sega Grand Match and SPT Masters matches, respectively. In these final matches you will face your ultimate opponents: King and Master. These two are quite a handful and you will most likely not beat them on your first attempt. You will have to unleash all of your skills to climb those final spots on the rankings list. Good luck!

Sega Grand Match Carpet CourtLevel 4: DoublesDuration: 1 setTrial Shot: SmashOpponent: King & Master

Welcome to the most difficult match in the game. To win, you're going to have to direct the majority of your shots at the team's weak linkKing. Not to say he is weak! It's just that Master is . . . well . . . the Master. Also, no matter how good you have gotten, let Singth hit it if he can. Singth will rarely miss the ball or hit it out of bounds.

SPT Masters Grass CourtLevel 4: SinglesDuration: 1 setTrial Shot: SmashOpponent: King

One on one with King is a challenge, albeit an easier one than he and Master together. Do your best to keep him on the move. Work him into a corner and then go cross-court on him. If you get him to hit the floor, you'll be on your way to a win and, quite possibly, the Number 1 World Ranking!