At the Australian Open 2008, Novak Djokovic, currently number 3 in the world, claimed his 1st Grand Slam title. His amazing performance and win was accomplished with Wilson’s new line of KFactor rackets, the KBlade. The KBlade line features Wilson’s latest technology, the KFactor, an improvement on the nCode nanotechnology. The KFactor utilizes a new material known as Karophite Black that provides players with more stability and control in a racket. The top-of-the-line control racket of the KBlade line is the KBlade Tour, Djokovic’s racket of choice. With a headsize of 93 sq. in. and weighing at 11.4 oz. unstrung, the KBlade Tour is a frame best suited for intermediate to advanced players seeking optimal control with great feel.

 

 

 

 

 

The small head was very intimidating. It took me some time to get adjusted to the 93 sq. in. frame, but in time I got the hang of it. My shots from the baseline were quite precise and accurate, exactly what I was expecting from the KBlade Tour. I did have to prepare well in advance in order to get a nice, long stroke to get a good depth on my shot though. Despite the denser string pattern (18×20), I got a nice solid feel on my shots, especially when I hit the sweetspot. On each shot, I felt very little vibration, which felt very arm-friendly. With the heavy weight though, my arm grew weary after a second set. The KBlade Tour is definitely a racket for advanced players looking for control over power.

 

Volleying with the KBlade Tour was a joyful experience. Placing the ball was fairly easy, though it took some time for me to adjust to the heavy weight. Maneuverability was decent at the net, though it was a little difficult to handle at first. Aside from the weight, I felt a solid response from the KBlade Tour on my volleys. Deep or angled volleys were both executed with good feel. Control and placement were the key characteristics that the racket provided on my volleys that compensated for the lack of power. Slice volleys and drop shots were amazing; I discovered a lot of touch and a crisp feel from the KBlade Tour on all my volleys.

 

On my service games, I found that hitting spin serves worked better than flat serves. Since the KBlade Tour did not supply a whole lot of power, it was better to focus on placing the ball instead, which worked out great. Spin serves stood out as the best choice with the KBlade Tour. My slice serves were lower and my kick serves wider than before. Kick serves went out wide quite consistently, reducing the need for powerful first serves. I knew when I had hit the middle because of the solid response from the racket - there was a good feel to each serve.

 

I felt confident returning with the KBlade Tour. I was frequently able to precisely place my returns in order to secure a quick point. On the tougher serves that came towards my body, I was able to block the ball over the net and deep, providing me with ample time to get ready for the next shot. On moderate to slow serves, the KBlade Tour helped me with aggressiveness, quickly giving me the upper hand. I was able to place the ball deep, putting my opponent on the defensive and allowing me to take the offense and finish the point. Though I wasn’t constantly hitting return winners, controlling the ball was enough to score me points.

 

Control, spin, and feel were all major characteristics that I enjoyed when playing with the KBlade Tour. The racket lives up to the generation of performance and control rackets that Wilson has released over the years. The smaller headsize offers a bit more feel and touch on each shot and was easy on the arm. Being control-oriented, the KBlade Tour is certainly a racket for intermediate to advanced players that are able to supply their own power and are looking for more control on their shots.