As Wimbledon gets underway tomorrow, Nimish Dubey takes a look at some apps that will keep you connected to aces, double faults and volleys on your handset and tablet, irrespective of where you are
Virtua Tennis Challenge
For a long time, tennis games on handsets meant fiddling around with buttons (real and onscreen) and remembering which button stood for serve, which for topspin and so on. Sega’s Virtua Tennis Challenge ends that, letting you control your strokes by simply swiping your finger on the screen in the direction in which you want to send the ball. You still have to get your timing right, though, or the ball will find the net more often than not. This app offers great graphics, simple gameplay, and a doubles mode that is even more fun than the singles. Yes, it costs money, but it
is worth it.
Works on: Android and iOS devices
For: USD 4.99
Real Tennis
The first major tennis app for the iPhone remains one of the most addictive ones and is now available totally free of cost. Yes, some might find the graphics a tad on the rough side now, and gameplay just a bit more complex than those found on newer tennis games (Virtua Tennis, for instance) — tilting your phone to serve still seems silly — but if it is a free tennis game that you are looking for, then this is easily the best. You can choose from eight players, seven stadiums and three surfaces, along with a career mode that lets you go from wannabe to champ.
Works on: iOS devices
Price: Free
Wimbledon
If it is Wimbledon that interests you in particular and not tennis in general, then this is the app for you. Brilliantly designed, it will bring you the latest from the championships, be it live match coverage, score updates or just news snippets. You can also check out video clips, and if you have a sense of history, look up footage from classic Wimbledon matches, featuring the likes of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Navratilova and Chris Evert Lloyd. Finally, there is our favourite feature — Wimbledon Radio, with three channels, one for the tournament in general, and two dedicated to matches on Centre Court and Court Number One. You can almost smell the grass, not to mention the strawberries and cream.
Works on: Android and iOS devices (BlackBerry expected soon)
For: Free
Flick Tennis: College Wars
If you are one of those who believe that there is a lot more to tennis than just a couple of people swinging racquets, then this is the app for you. You step into the shoes of a tennis prodigy who has to play his way through college to achieve tennis glory. This is literally a story in which tennis plays a major role — yes, you get to play against a number of rivals but the story, told through comic strips, in no less engrossing. Gameplay is charmingly simple — you just need to move your finger to send the ball in a direction. Eleven episodes, 12 difficulty variations, lots of emotion, and yes, lots of tennis. Alas, it is an iPad-only app — we really hope that changes.
Works on: The iPad
For: USD 3.99
ATP/WTA Live
At the end of the day, tennis is all about the figures on the scoreboard. And if it is scores of tennis matches that you seek, then no app does it better than the official ATP/WTA Live app, which serves up live scores and statistics from every major tennis tournament being played around the world, and some minor Challenger events too. You can get details of the year’s tennis calendar and ranking updates too. Nope, there are no news updates or player profiles here — this is an app dedicated to bringing you the latest score and no more. And it does a darned good job of just that.
Works on: Android and iOS devices
For: Free
The Tennis App
The appropriately named The Tennis App is for those searching for tennis news combined with a dash of gyaan. Yes, you do get what you would from a “regular tennis app” in terms of news, live scores and ranking updates, but there is more to this app — head over to the “additional content” section and you will be pleasantly surprised to see the legendary Bryan brothers (renowned for their eccentricity as well as tennis ability) and other players instructing you on how to play different strokes. What’s more, they do it well and in some detail, even accommodating left-handers (something that other apps miss).
Works on: Android and iOS devices
For: Freeu00a0
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