Sega announces Virtua Tennis 2009

Game, set and match for May release

6 February 2009 15:46 GMT / By Verity Burns

3 years after the last instalment in the franchise, Sega has announced it will be releasing Virtua Tennis 2009 for Xbox, PS3 and PC in May.

Virtua Tennis 2009 will see players able to step into the tennis shoes of favourites like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, with new players added this year including Andy Murray and French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.

In addition to the traditional singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches we've seen in previous games, Virtua Tennis 2009 will also have the official Davis Cup license as well.

The game sees improvements in volleying, serving and net play, as well as new "player stumbling" which apparently adds a "new dimension" to matches.

Also improved is the World Tour Mode, which has been given new features and now offers a new online ranking system for PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Players will also be able to keep up with the latest court looks in a newly designed Tennis Store containing over 800 items.

There will be new Court Games and minigames aplenty, playable as single player, multiplayer online. Although we've been warned to look out for "crocodiles, fruit and pirates" in Virtua Tennis 2009. Interesting.

For more information on the game, head over to the Virtua Tennis 2009 website, and keep your eyes peeled for it in May.

Full tags

Gaming, Sports games, Sega, Xbox 360, PS3, PC games