DESCRIPTION

The first tennis title released on GameCube, WTA Tour Tennis is a four-player game featuring 20 professional female athletes. Among the playable stars are Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic, Martina Hingis, Anke Huber, Serena Williams, and Monica Seles. Two control options help determine how much of the action is experienced. Easy Mode has the computer automatically selecting shot type, letting players focus on moving and pressing one button to hit the ball. Expert Mode has players deciding on the type of hit, including slices, lobs, flat shots, and shots with topspin. Aiming the Control Stick also influences the ball's direction, and there are three different serves. A total of three play options include Tournament Mode, Exhibition Mode, and Tour Mode.

Tour Mode involves choosing one of 20 players before embarking on four major tournaments in either singles or doubles competition. After each tournament, players can view a list with each athlete's name, rank points, quality points, and prize money. The top four in each tournament are awarded points, with quality points earned for beating higher-ranked players. Tournaments are also assigned one of six grades, from Tier 4 to Grand Slam. Exhibition mode lets players select their athlete, venue, the number of games, either singles or doubles competition, and starting position, as well as computer difficulty. Court surfaces consist of hard, clay, and grass.

Tournament Mode involves selecting the number of matches and athletes from the following choices: three matches, four players; five matches, eight players; nine matches, 16 players; and 17 matches, 32 players. Players can also assign which pros are in the tournament as well as pair them off against seeded or unseeded opponents. As in Tour Mode, progress and results can be saved after each match. In-game options include a choice of two camera angles during single-player contests, multiple controller layouts, and the ability to watch matches between two computer-controlled opponents. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide