As any tennis fan knows, the season is never over. Whether you're still supercharged with Murray mania, a long-time Federer fan or a comedic Djoker, our top 10 tennis apps for the Samsung GALAXY S4 and GALAXY Note 3 will keep you in the loop.
Sure, Wimbledon may be over and the 2013 US Open might have closed, but tennis fans still have the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to look forward to in November. Plus, winter is surely the best time to start equipping your digital armoury with the best tennis apps available.
You might even be looking to make your way to the top of the ATP rankings yourself. If so, our selection below will have you smashing felt around the court like a supercharged Nalbandian. Just don't go kicking any spectators.
1. Gachinko Tennis
Free ? Get it here
Don't let Gachinko Tennis' blocky, SNES-like graphics fool you; the game demands hours of practice if you want to stand a chance of beating it.
Starting off in the app's exhibition mode could save your head a few follicles down the line as you learn to control the player's speed while choosing between straight or slice shots to return the ball. Precision is the name of the game, and failure to move quickly enough or picking the wrong shot will see fuzzy felt repeatedly fly wide.
When you're ready, Gachinko Tennis serves up 'Elimination' mode, which sees you earn experience points to spend on increasingly powerful skill shots, such as volleys or power serves, which you'll need for taking on 10 increasingly tough opponents.
While not a 'feature' per se, the app's slightly corny on-screen dialogue could teach you a few tennis terms too, and the game prides itself on its seemingly impossible to beat final challenge. Complete it, and bragging rights will truly be yours.
2. Tennis Math
Free ? Get it here
If you've ever watched tennis on the telly, you may have wondered why the commentators are fixated on statistics. As with many sports, they show the strengths and weaknesses of players' games, and anything from an unusual number of forced errors to a player firing a steady stream of aces can point to who is 'set' for victory.
Tennis Math is all about helping you spot those strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your own game. With a simple interface that provides buttons to log various on-court actions, from shots to movement patterns, the aim is to build up a picture over time of where improvement is needed.
It has 'beginner', 'intermediate' and 'expert' modes, depending on the level of complexity you want to track your shots, and the app is widely configurable to track any type of match, from a 5-set Grand-Slam to a kids' or custom game.
3. Stick Tennis
Free ? Get it here
Developed by the same people that brought us addictive browser-based game Stick Cricket, Stick Tennis is all about timing.
The game's controls couldn't be simpler. While the phone controls your player's movements, your job is to swipe in various directions to pull off certain shots.
Its cartoonish visuals may fool you into thinking you'll breeze your way to winning grand slams in no time, but Stick Tennis is no walk in the park.
The computer can be ruthless, and you may find yourself having to improve your game at the 'Casual Sets Tennis Club' (essentially a practice mode) before growing in confidence to take on the big hitters.
Whether you're passing the time on a short journey or looking to dig into an in-depth tennis challenge, Stick Tennis is one of the best pick-up-and-play offerings on a handheld device.
4. Virtua Tennis Challenge
Free demo ? Get it here (or �4.02 for the full version ? Buy it here)
Sega's been making Virtua Tennis games since 1999, meaning the series is so fine tuned you can almost smell the strawberries and cream.
It's always been a looker, and Sega's Android version continues that tradition, featuring 18 perfectly rendered stadiums from around the world and 50 real-life felt swatters.
Touch controls allow you to use top spin, slice shots, drop shots and lobs, giving you more varied shots over over rival tennis sims.
Solo players can enter a 'World Tour' mode that lets you create a mini 'you' to take on opponents from around the globe, and a Multiplayer option lets you connect with players over Bluetooth for fast-paced doubles matches, whether that's head-to-head or against computerised opponents.
5. Tennis Remote Score Lite
Free ? Get it here (or �3.22 for the full version ? Buy it here)
Having to mentally keep score when playing tennis can be off-putting for any player. To help in this area, Tennis Remote Score Lite allows either one or both players (or a third person) to track the score by tapping on a player's name to add points as a match progresses.
Additionally, if you have a spare speaker handy that you can connect to the GALAXY S4 or Note 3, the app will use the smartphone's Text to Speech settings to read out the scores as the match progresses. It doesn't do it in Boris Becker's voice, unfortunately, but we can live in hope that it might do one day.
6. Tennis Chart
Free ? Get it here
If you're looking for a way to up your game tactically, whether it's adjusting your feet or discovering your weak points, Tennis Chart allows you (or someone else, unless you want to constantly stop the match) to mark where each of your shots land on the court with a tap.
This allows you to keep track of winners, forced and unforced errors and ball placement. You have the option of recording full or partial matches too, in addition to setting custom scoring rules to highlight how often you successfully pull off certain types of shots.
The app really benefits from the Samsung GALAXY S4's generous 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen or the Note 3's astounding 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen, making it easy to see where you're blasting balls and what your success rate is at a glance.
7. Sports Rules & News Free
Free ? Get it here
Tennis can be a confusing game to newcomers. For a start, there's an awful lot of racket throwing and stomping about for a sport that mentions 'love' every five minutes.
Sports Rules & News is an accessible and clearly presented app that explains the rules of tennis without jargon. From understanding the scoring system to learning all about the various court surfaces, it may even rekindle some long-lost knowledge for seasoned professionals.
After you've swotted up, the app features a test mode that takes you through various questions in a true or false format to see what you've learned. And that's not all, as tennis is just one of 12 sports on offer ? amazing considering it doesn't cost a penny.
8. Tennis Mental Winner
Free ? Get it here
You may have mastered your shots, but what about your temperament? You only need to look back in tennis history to see that champions often come with a surly disposition, from John McEnroe's tantrums to David Nalbandian taking out a spectator's shins.
Tennis Mental Winner is an app that not only helps tame your nerves and emotions, but also teaches you how to remain calm and focused in nearly any situation.
Whether you're suffering from pre-match anxieties, the crowd isn't on your side or you're hitting an unusual amount of wide shots, this mental manual is your Ivan Lendl when you're struggling to break out of moody Murray mode.
9. ATP/WTA Live
Free ? Get it here
While there are plenty of apps out there providing the low down on the four major slams, there's comparatively less choice when it comes to following tournaments held by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA).
Luckily, this app offers up a wealth of information on the two, from the results of tours and events held throughout the year to future match schedules and live points that are updated minute-by-minute. You can track specific players too, meaning you can get all the latest on your favourite tennis starts at the swipe of a finger.
Match statistics are also thrown into the mix alongside detailed ATP and WTA singles and doubles, and if you're looking to sharpen up your knowledge on players involved with the two associations, you could do worse than checking out the app's comprehensive head-to-head records and player bios.
10. The Tennis App
Free ? Get it here
The Tennis App is something of a jack of all trades, featuring the latest tennis news and updates from social media platforms.
It also allows you to track updates based on your favourite tennis players, but the app's prized feature is an automatically updated and comprehensive rankings list for ATP Singles, ATP Doubles, ATP Doubles Teams, WTA Singles and WTA Doubles.
You can also 'star' matches as favourites to receive instant updates and notifications, in addition to browsing player directories.
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