Singapore Smash: Inner Carbon Blades Dominate Again
WTT Singapore Smash — though the overall results played out largely as expected, there was plenty of drama along the way. This tournament was once again a fierce clash between inner carbon and outer carbon blades. So who came out on top this time? We break it down from an equipment perspective.
Men’s Singles
Champion Wang Chuqin: Q968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, Hurricane 8 (20# sponge) Runner-up Lin Yun-ju: Super Viscaria, Z03, D05 Semifinalists Truls Möregård: Cyber 6 Gold Label, both sides Helix Platinum 55° Felix Lebrun: Tibhar Felix, both sides K3 Pro
Not only did the champion use an inner carbon blade, but three of the four men’s singles semifinalists were rocking inner constructions. There was a time when we thought outer carbon blades would become the dominant choice in the new plastic ball era.
“Soft feel with good dwell time, but without sacrificing power” — that is the hallmark of inner fiber blades, and it is precisely what many national team players love. On top of that, DHS’s special 968 series brings exceptional spin, arc creation, and explosive energy. The overall flex-tension of this powerful inner blade pairs beautifully with Hurricane rubber on both sides. The 5+2 structure — limba outer ply, ayous force ply, KLC fiber layer, and ayous core — has become a template that competing brands scramble to replicate.
The classic 968’s slim handle and long face push the balance point toward the head. Under light-to-moderate force it clearly does not fire as freely as outer aramid-carbon blades like Viscaria. So you absolutely need to give yourself room, open your stance, and swing through fully to load the flex properly — and then it really shines. The Q968 feels almost purpose-built for Wang Chuqin’s style. The Yinhe PRK-520X is a similar concept.
Butterfly’s Super Viscaria features thicker and coarser fiber weave and is an outer ALC blade, yet it retains excellent dwell and delivers a better blend of speed and spin at moderate force. Over the past year Lin Yun-ju tested dozens of blades before settling on this one, and in the process even swapped out his long-favored forehand rubber, replacing T05 Hard with Z03.
Since switching his rubber to Helix Platinum, Möregård’s form has been more consistent. When you dead-ball the rubber it does not feel overly springy, but when you load it up the energy releases powerfully — strong flex-tension. This is a rubber that excels at both control and explosive power. The combination of a grippy topsheet and small-cell cake sponge is the new flagship German rubber, and it genuinely impresses.
On the men’s singles court, young Chinese player Chen Yuanyu also put in a solid performance. He eliminated Hugo and pushed Möregård to a 3-4 loss in the quarterfinals, showing rapid development overall. His setup: Gold Label Viscaria, NEO Blue National Hurricane forehand, K3 Pro backhand. In this period, several players — including Wang Yidi and Jang Woojin — have switched to K3 Pro on the backhand, suggesting that slightly tacky German rubber is gaining more traction at the top level.
Women’s Singles
Champion Sun Yingsha: S968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, Hurricane 8 (20# sponge) Runner-up Wang Manyu: Fan Zhendong ALC, NEO Blue National Hurricane, D09c Semifinalist Bernadette Szocs: Andro New Core OFF/S, NUZN 55, Andro Anti-Arc ABS 3 Pro Chen Yi: W968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, D09c
Inner carbon blades took the title again. In the women’s singles final, the inner KLC S968 defeated the outer ALC Fan Zhendong ALC. In the semifinal bracket, Szocs used an all-wood five-ply, and Chen Yi was also on the 968 series (she had previously used Pro-05x Max).
The S968 plays differently from the W968 — it has noticeably better backhand support and stiffness, making it crisper. It produces a faster first-ball speed and handles redirected power and punching strokes better. At light-to-medium force it generates ball-contact more readily, meaning you do not have to swing hard on every shot.
A broader trend is clear: two-wing topspin players are gravitating more and more toward tacky rubber on both sides — either Hurricane on both wings, or Hurricane on the forehand paired with a slightly tacky European rubber on the backhand.
As the European women’s top-16 champion who also reached the Singapore Smash semifinals, Szocs was the biggest story in women’s singles. Her technical and equipment overhaul over the past few years has been a remarkable success, and her unique playing style has many recreational players eager to experiment.
Mixed Doubles
Champion Hugo Calderano: Joola Hugo ARY-C, both sides Joola Hugo Trinity Charged Takahashi Bruna: Andro VCI, both sides NUZN 55 Runner-up Lim Jong-hoon: Butterfly Lim Jong-hoon, both sides D09c Shin Yubin: S968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, NEO Orange National Hurricane
The Butterfly Lim Jong-hoon is an Outerforce ALC outer construction. The other three blades are all inner carbon. Hugo’s blade is not yet on the market, but as far as we know it features an inner green aramid-carbon structure. His rubber, like that of the gold medal winners, is also a slightly tacky German sheet. Takahashi’s Andro VCI is also inner green ALC — the two of them look like a matching pair.
Shin Yubin’s 968 is structurally an S968, but fitted with a rose-colored handle — a DHS custom. She performed brilliantly in this event; it was simply hard luck that her opponent Wang Manyu was in exceptional form.
Men’s Doubles
Champions Alexis Lebrun: Tibhar Alexis, both sides K3 Pro Felix Lebrun: Tibhar Felix, both sides K3 Pro Runners-up Lin Shidong: Outer ALC Special Edition, NEO Blue National Hurricane, D09c Huang Youzheng: W968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, NEO Orange National Hurricane
From a pure inner-versus-outer standpoint, this event finished all square. That said, inner blades keep improving their first-ball speed — the Tibhar Felix and S968 being prime examples — while outer blades are getting more and more dwell, as seen in the Tibhar Alexis and Gold Label Viscaria. The two families are converging.
Women’s Doubles
Champions Hina Hayata: Harimoto Tomokazu SALC, D09c, D05 Hina Hayata (partner): Hina Hayata H2, NEO Blue National Hurricane, Z03 Runners-up Nagasaki Miyu: Harimoto Tomokazu SALC, T05 Hard, D05 Shin Yubin: S968, NEO Blue National Hurricane, NEO Orange National Hurricane
Every setup here is an inner fiber blade. The outcome speaks for itself. The Harimoto SALC — high-tolerance and with improved speed — and the S968 with its enhanced backhand punch are now the standout blades on the women’s circuit. As for the rubbers listed, every single one is among the most popular choices at this level.
Inner carbon blades clearly won this round at Singapore Smash. But the upcoming Chongqing Championships will reignite the battle. Who wins next time? That remains to be seen.