
The Backboard: Kei Nishikori, Artificial Turf, American men’s tennis, Indian Wells and more
Welcome to Stray Shots, the new home for some of my tennis thoughts and musings. This column will appear every Monday here at The Changeover. Let’s get started!

Quisner and the Current State of American Men’s Tennis
It’s the final week of the SAP Open in San Jose. The tournament, which is the second oldest in the United States, is moving to South America in 2014. It’s another in a long line of signs that point to a giant neon flashing sign saying: “Tennis in the United States is Dying.”
John Isner and Sam Querrey are the only players from their generation in the top 50. Are they poised to lead American tennis? And what happened to the rest of the generation?