Tennis games have been few and far between on the PC, so the arrival of Tennis Master Series is a welcome breath of fresh air for sports fans everywhere. With 64 opponents and nine tournaments to take part in, authors Microids have gone all out to create a standard by which other tennis titles can be judged--and the standard is very high. Graphically this is a real treat. There's a real feeling of "being there"; the level of details in the backgrounds and on the players themselves is top notch--running around on a clay surface even leaves footprints behind--how's that for detail? The controls are wonderfully simple at the easier levels--think Virtua Tennis for the DreamCast and you'll get the general idea--with only a couple of button-presses necessary to serve and volley the afternoon away. However, as opponents get tougher, tricks, including the addition of spin, come into play to try and outfox the wily opponents. Don't be fooled by the heaven-sent controls though, this game is no push-over, and making progress through the ranks to achieve a world-class status is quite a task and will take quite some time to achieve ensuring lastability. In all, Tennis Master Series is a polished and accomplished sporting title, which is sure to appeal to those fond of idling the day away with a mouthful of Pims and a bowl of strawberries and cream. --Carolus B S Rathling