Nikolay Davydenko has begun playing with a Dunlop racquet, having made the switch after the U.S. Open.
Davydenko signed an equipment contract with Dunlop in March but had continued to play with a Prince racquet.
After losing in the first round of Kuala Lumpur, he reached the quarterfinals in Beijing last week, only the second time he has won two matches in a row since returning from a wrist injury in June.
"I just change racquet, and it's my second tournament and really start from zero," he said at Beijing. "Mentally, for sure, different feeling, and need to maybe play differently. But I run the same, fast, and just need to control."
Davydenko has significant ranking points to defend this fall, having won the Shanghai Masters and World Tour Finals in London last year. But the Russian said he was not feeling the pressure ahead of his title defense in Shanghai.
"Not so much," he said. "You always have pressure if you feel you can qualify for the Masters London... Really for me is different situation. I know I will not qualify for London this year. Just enjoying now my last couple tournaments what I play this year and take rest before preparation for the next season in December."