Sega serving up Virtua Tennis 2009

In 2007, Sega released Virtua Tennis 3 to critical acclaim on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PSP. One glaring omission from the list of platforms was the Wii, which had taken the industry by storm the previous year, thanks in part to the pick-up-and-play Wii Sports and its stripped-down-yet-popular tennis game.

That's an oversight Sega is seeking to rectify with Virtua Tennis 2009, which the publisher today announced would arrive on the Wii as well as the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC this May. All versions of the game will boast online play and a roster of real-life tennis pros like Roger Federer and Venus Williams. Sega is also refreshing the variety of tennis-themed minigames with five new challenges and several returning favorites.

Ever since the Wii launched in 2006, tennis has proven to be a popular subject for developers. In addition to multiple minigame compilations and table tennis games, the system plays host to Sega Superstars Tennis, Top Spin 3, and the upcoming New Play Control: Mario Power Tennis.