Damir Dzumhur won the biggest match of his life so far when he beat Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the Acapulco 500 tournament. He came back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set, won it in a tie-break and then Wawrinka’s energy seemed gone and Dzumhur took advantage to nail the straight sets victory 7-6 6-3. He did this swinging a Wilson Blade 98 Countervail racquet but what is actually underneath the paint is a Wilson kBlade 98 (a slightly crisper racquet than the more muted Countervail edition
).
Dzumhur strings his Wilson Blade racquet with Luxilon Alu Power. Both the Wilson Blade
(in some way or form) and Luxilon Alu Power
are extremely popular setups on the ATP World Tour and if you have used the combo you get why: controlled power without discomfort. It won’t give you massive spin, but you’ll know where your shots are going.
Dzumhur does often know where his shots are going, with his six Challenger titles and 12 Future titles being excellent proof. He is 24 years old and coached by his father Nerfid. He is currently ranked 77 in the world and I think we’ll see him climb within the top 30 before the end of the year.
I’m a big fan of the Wilson Blade racquets and have used the 2015 version extensively, so any question on that line of racquets, let me know.
9 comments
How do the new countervail blades differ from the old kblade 98? (Other than the muted feel)
They are very close! The kBlade is stiffer/crisper and slightly more responsive and actually have a slightly thinner beam. The new Blades feel a bit heavier through the air, but more solid at impact (higher swing weight). I would actually prefer the kBlade in this comparison, but my favourite Blade is the 2015 green/black version.
Any iteration of the Wilson Blade 98 is however an excellent modern racquet that can be customized to your liking.
Hi, I’m currently usin an APD Cortex, I play every tournament on clay using lot of sping on my Drive… BUT I think i need More control, specially on my serve, do you think that Blade 18×20 (2015) could be a good choice? I’m worry about lossing my heavy spin.
Hi Damian,
Wow, the APD Cortex. I could see the need for more control and comfort. I really like the response from the Wilson Blade 18×20 so I think that’s a great choice if you’re looking for a modern racquet with good control.
Let me know how it goes! Cheers / Jonas
Yes, I really like the feel of that racquet, over the GT versión, 2013, etc, but I lack control in some strokes, Thank you for the quick answer.
A ´spinnier´alternative to wilson blade 98? Do you have any recommendation?
Here are a few options:
Yonex VCORE 98 – most spin
Angell K7 Red – most comfortable, lowest power.
Babolat Pure Strike 98 – good blend of qualities, but quite stiff.
Hi is Damir using an extended length racquet? Handle looks longer
Hi Dan,
Very possible. Will dig deeper. Cheers / Jonas