BRITAIN might be searching in vain for the next Tim Henman in the real world, but thanks to Tennis Masters Series 2003 on the PC you have the opportunity to be a virtual world-class player.

And it's not just a matter of typing in your name and seeing some anonymous animation running around the court purporting to be you.

Those nice people at Microids have included an editor that allows you to put your face in the game though a fair bit of technical knowhow is needed to make this happen.

As tennis simulations go, TMS 2003 is not a bad effort.

You can play an exhibition singles or doubles match and also play in a Masters Series, vying for a place in the Shanghai Cup.

The real challenge, though, is rising through the ranks in career mode.

Here you play in tournaments around the world, improving your skill levels along the way in a bid to get to the top.

You can also play over the internet once you feel you've honed your skills.

There are three types of court to play on hard, clay and indoor.

The graphic designers have put a lot of thought into the environment too, because shadows are cast across the court depending on the time of day you are playing.

On the clay courts, footmarks appear as you scamper across the surface.

My only gripe is with hitting the ball.

You use four different buttons to serve and then for shot selection in open play.

The various options have clear benefits when serving, but once you start returning the ball, using the power shot is usually the best bet.

Using the other three buttons (top spin, slice or lob) is a bit like sharpening a pencil with a blunt blade you can still use it, you may get a point at the end of it, but it's the hard way of doing things.

Nevertheless, TMS 2003 is a sound simulation that should keep tennis fans and thanks to the face in the game option narcissists equally happy.

Rating: 3/5