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Hard Hitter Tennis

Player/Court FAQ

by TimmyVermicelli 

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                   / / /  __/ / / / / / / (__  ) 
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                          PLAYER AND COURT FAQ                               
                      FOR THE PLAYSTATION 2 CONSOLE                         
                  WRITTEN BY TIMMYVERMICELLI (JOHN STUBBS)                   
                              VERSION FINAL                               


-----------------------
|  TABLE OF CONTENTS  |
-----------------------

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Version History

Section 3: Players

         I. Jan Laval
        II. Diego Berizzo
       III. Tina Arquette
        IV. Serge Bulgakov
         V. Johannes Schumann
        VI. Akira Kitano
       VII. Brian Jones
      VIII. Benny Buckley

Section 4: Courts

         I. Hard 
        II. Clay
       III. Lawn
        IV. Indoor

Section 5: Closing / Contact Info

Section 6: Copyright / Disclaimer 

Section 7: Credits


------------------
|  INTRODUCTION  |
------------------

Welcome to my FAQ on the Players and Courts in Hard Hitter Tennis. My name is
John, and my username on GameFAQ's and GameSpot is TimmyVermicelli. This is
my first attempt at a guide so I advise you, don't be expecting wonders. It
aims to help you find the best player to suit your game and your favourite
court. With this knowledge on your back, you will wallop computer AI and your
friends too, so read on.

Quick Note: This guide is based on the UK version of Hard Hitter Tennis called
Centre Court: Hard Hitter but the differences, if any, will be very slight.


----------------------
|   VERSION HISTORY  |
----------------------

Version 1.00 - FAQ finished. All main sections included. 

Version 1.50 - Full Graphical overhaul. ASCII Header added to replace written
header. Grammatical and spelling mistakes rectified. Templates changed. 
Disclaimer and Copyright notices updated. Contents changed.

Version 1.51 - Changes to Copyright Notice.

Version Final - Last version of guide. Please do not submit any more updates.
Thank you.


-------------
|  PLAYERS  |
-------------


I. Jan Laval 
============

This French player is one of the hardest to control in the game, and is 
recommended for experts only. His main characteristic is Hard Hitter; this 
means he has an almost unreturnable smash, and very powerful, lengthy strokes. 
However, his shots sometimes lack direction and accuracy, meaning he is 
very inconsistent in performance. He is a good volley player, but again lacks
direction and accuracy. If you master his unpredictability, he can be a 
rewarding - if random - player.

Difficulty: Pro

Strokes: Inconsistent, Average

Power: Very Good

Volleys: Decent

Direction: Poor

Speed on Court: Good


II. Diego Berizzo
=================

Diego Berizzo is classed as an all-rounder, but is more skilful is some areas
than others. He has an average serve, good power and he is a skilled volley
artist. However, he is quite slow on the court and is often left trailing in 
rallies. His only big weakness is height. Diego drives the ball into net quite
frequently, mainly on rising balls and backhand strokes. As a rule, try to get
him into volleying position quickly. He is good for beginners and more 
advanced players.

Difficulty: Beginner

Strokes: Average

Power: Good

Volleys: Good

Direction: Average

Speed on Court: Poor


III. Tina Arquette
==================

Tina is the only female in the game. She is classed as a stroker and that is
where her strengths lie. Her backhand stroke is like the devil to return
and she uses a lot of spin shots, making her a difficult opponent and a very
technical player. She does have a couple of disadvantages though. She isn't
very strong, and has little power. This means you will need to use spin more
than often. She also has a very inconsistent, slow, serve. She is best suited
to more advanced players.

Difficulty: Amateur / Pro

Strokes: Very Good

Power: Very Poor

Volleys: Average

Direction: Good

Speed on Court: Average


IV. Serge Bulgakov
==================

The Russian, Serge, is another Hard Hitter in the same mould as Jan Laval.
However, in contrast, Serge has incredibly accurate strokes and is very good
at directioning his shots. He is also very good at returning rising balls,
and rarely hits the net. However, he has an inconsistent serve and is very
weak and volleying and close - net play. He is also quite slow. Serge is good
as a first pick to introduce you to the game.

Difficulty: Beginner / Amateur

Strokes: Very Good

Power: Very Good

Volleys: Very Poor

Direction: Good

Speed on Court: Poor


V. Johannes Schumann
====================

Johannes is classed as a net player, but he is generally good at everything.
His main stand-out point is his incredible volley skills. If you can get him
to the net, your opponent won't stand a chance. He also has a pretty decent
flat stroke, making him the best choice for Doubles games. He has a handy,
powerful serve too. The only two downers are his slow speed on the court and
his power, but Johannes is still a great beginner's character and one of the
best on the circuit.

Difficulty: Beginner

Strokes: Good

Power: Poor

Volleys: Very Good

Direction: Average

Speed on Court: Poor


VI. Akira Kitano
================

Akira, a Japanese stroker, has a variety of strengths and weaknesses. He is
very fast on the court, and using this and his great strokes he can be a very
difficult opponent to overcome. He also has a good volley skill and a 
formidable smash. His serve is quick and flat and he is consistent. His 
downside is the fact he doesn't have a lot of power, he hits the net regularly
and his directional skills could be better. Overall, he is a decent choice 
but is best suited for more skilled players.

Difficulty: Amateur

Strokes: Very Good

Power: Poor

Volleys: Good

Direction: Poor

Speed on Court: Good


VII. Brian Jones
================

Brian is firmly a net player. He has decisively good volleys, and every one is
deadly powerful, accurate and devilishly hard to return. He is also very good
at spin on the ball too. He does have a lot of disadvantages, however. His
regular stroke speed is slow and easily returned, he is very slow on the court
and he is best suited to veteran players.

Difficulty: Pro

Strokes: Poor

Power: Average

Volleys: Very Good

Direction: Average

Speed on Court: Very Poor


VIII. Benny Buckley
===================

This African all-rounder is a good beginner's player. His strong point is his
slicing and spin shots. He executes drop and lob shots with ease and accuracy.
He also has a good amount of power. His serve is fast and low, which is hard
to return, and his stroke and volley are both decent. However, he is quite slow
on the court and he sometimes has difficulty with direction. It is also easy
to hit the net with his powerful, flat strokes. 

Difficulty: Beginner / Amateur

Strokes: Good

Power: Average

Volleys: Good

Direction: Poor

Speed on Court: Average / Poor


------------
|  COURTS  |
------------


I. Hard
=======

Hard courts have one characteristic - balls bounce a lot higher than normal.
This is great in a combination with Hard Hitter's, as powerfully striking the
ball with enough pace means the opponent will have a real laugh trying to 
return it. My personal favourite on this court is Serge Bulgakov.


II. Clay
========

Clay's courts' main characteristic is the balls are slower than normal. This
has an adverse effect on serves, smashes and spin shots as they slow as soon 
as they reach the surface. The other feature is the ball bounces a little lower
than normal. The effect is almost unnoticeable however. My favourite on this
court is Akira Kitano and the strokers will have the best time here.
All-Rounders are decent here too.


III. Lawn
=========

Lawn has two big characteristics - the ball bounces lower than normal and
travels fast. This is a haven for Net Players and Hard Hitters, as the ball
is very difficult to return when it is struck low and hard. Rising shots are 
also very commonplace on this circuit - making it a no-go for some players who
have low rising ball skill. Lawn is best for players of little experience and
is a great venue for Versus matches.


IV. Indoor
==========

Indoor looks a lot like a hard surface, but it is actually a carpeted surface.
The carpet sinks the ball in it, reducing it's bounce slightly. The main
characteristic of this surface is, however, the ball speed. It travels very 
fast and slides along the surface. Good spin players are the best bet for this
surface, and strokers like Tina and Akira wouldn't be a bad choice either.
This is the worst surface for fair Versus matches, and it is very hard to 
complete Season mode on this surface too.


---------------------------
|  CLOSING / CONTACT INFO |
---------------------------


I hope you have enjoyed reading my first FAQ. Please remember, this FAQ is 
meant to be brief and to the point. I hope it's helped you. 

If you have any questions, contributions, or queries that you would like 
answered please e-mail me, at:
 
stubbs306 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Please also make sure you have put "Hard Hitter Tennis" as the subject. Any
e-mails from people I don't know without this subject will be deleted.

Thanks for reading.


----------------------------
|  COPYRIGHT / DISCLAIMER  |
----------------------------


This document is Copyright (c) John Stubbs 2005. All copyrights and trademarks
contained in this document are copyrights and trademarks of their 
respective owners. You must not use this guide without my permission. This 
includes, but is not limited to, hosting my FAQ, making links to it or 
claiming it as your own without my written consent. 

All websites below have permission to do the above:

GameFAQ's (www.gamefaqs.com)
IGN (www.ign.com)
SuperCheats (www.supercheats.com)
My Homepage (www.freewebs.com/timmyvermicelli)


-------------
|  CREDITS  |
-------------


Thanks to all the following people and sites:

dtroi50 - For the useful copyright notice and Contact Info templates.
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/ - For the ASCII header.





-END OF DOCUMENT-