Some specs from the 2009 BNP Paribas Open
Thanks to David Mindell and the Star Stringing team for allowing me the use of their Babolat RDC machine.
| Player | Racquet | Mass | Bal. | Swgwt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspelin | Wilson K Six.One 95 | 349 | 31.5 | 328 | unstrung with grip |
| Benneteau | Babolat Pure Drive + | 337 | 33.5 | 368 | new graphics |
| Bryan, B. | Prince O3 Speedport Black | 368 | 31.6 | 362 | string hole inserts |
| Bryan, M. | Prince O3 Speedport Black | 365 | 32.0 | 369 | string hole inserts |
| Chardy | Head MicroGel Radical | 330 | 32.2 | 333 | |
| Davydenko | Prince Ozone Pro Tour MP | 346 | 33.2 | 352 | 28⅛ inches |
| Dent | Wilson K Blade 98 | 375 | 31.4 | 378 | Modified retail, not full custom |
| Djokovic | Head | 360 | 32.0 | 371 | 51 flex (others report 60)* |
| Dokic | Wilson K Tour | 329 | 35.5 | 383 | lots of lead tape from 9 to 12 |
| Gasquet | Head MicroGel Extreme Pro | 361 | 32.4 | 381 | |
| Gicquel | Head MicroGel Radical MP | 348 | 31.75 | 376 | |
| Gremelmayr | Head MicroGel Radical Pro MP | 353 | 32.4 | 353 | 5 inches lead tape at 9 |
| Haynes | Babolat Pure Drive Cortex | 323 | 32.7 | 318 | |
| Ivanovic | Yonex RQiS1Tour | 333 | 34.1 | 348 | |
| Kirilenko | Yonex RQiS2Tour | 327 | 34.2 | 349 | lead at 9 and 10 |
| Kuznetsova | Head MicroGel Extreme MP | 336 | 33.5 | 328 | |
| Mattek | Wilson K Tour | 357 | 31.0 | 343 | |
| Melzer | Dunlop AeroGel 3hundred Tour | 331 | 33.15 | 337 | 4D model, 27.5 inches |
| Mirnyi | Wilson K Six.One 95 | 373.5 | 31.2 | 343 | |
| Moodie | Head Prestige MP | 341 | 30.4 | 315 | before, unstrung, no overgrip |
| Moodie | Head Prestige MP | 337 | 29.95 | 300 | after, unstrung, no overgrip |
| Murray, A. | Head MicroGel Radical Pro | 404 | unconfirmed | ||
| Murray, J. | Dunlop AeroGel 5hundred Tour | 361 | 31.2 | 348 | |
| Nadal | Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex | 335 | 33.3 | 350 | 4¼” grip, two overgrips |
| Rodionova | Wilson K Pro Open | 315 | 33.1 | 315 | |
| Shiavone | Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex | 317 | 33.1 | 323 | |
| Stepanek | Bosworth | 342 | 32.9 | 347 | lots of lead at 9 and 12 |
USRSA has published on-line the stringing logs from this tournament, also thanks to Dave and Casey at Star Stringing. Stringing logs are available to USRSA members only.
* Note: I've been asked by someone who in 2014 measured the flex of Djokovic’s racquet — and came up with 60 RDC units, as opposed to the 51 RDC units measured by Star Stringing — why there was such a discrepancy. My initial response was that it’s possible the RDC machines are not calibrated (I know the Star Stringing RDC machine was not calibrated, for example), and that at least some of the difference was therefore due to this.
It occurs to me that they may be another explanation, which seems far-fetched but IMHO cannot be discounted. In fact, it ought to be considered, if for no other reason that there is a LOT of difference between 51 RDC flex and 60 RDC flex.
The 51 RDC flex reading was taken not long after Djokovic switched from Wilson Blade to the Head Speed. Neither the Blade nor the Speed were “off the shelf” racquets; that is, each was acustom lay-up for Djokovic. I have also seen Wilson custom racquets (such as those for Taylor Dent) that had a great deal of flex.
Therefore, I can’t help but wonder if Djokovic’s Wilson Blade did not reflect the thinking at Wilson at that time that fine-tuning fully custom pro racquets involved reducing the stiffness of the frame until the overall racquet suited the player. If this was the case, Head might have constructed racquets for Djokovic based on what he was used to with Wilson, and then later eased him into the Head way of designing a racquet.
Just a thought —