Daily Bagel: Justin Bieber hangs with another WTA star in Indian Wells
The Daily Bagel is your dose of the interesting reporting, writing and quipping from around the Internet.
• Results from Indian Wells: Sloane Stephens won her first round match 7-5, 7-5 over ChanelleScheepers and will play Angelique Kerber next. Monica Niculescu defeated Aleksandra Krunic 6-2, 6-1 to earn the noble task of facing Serena Williams on Friday night. Donna Vekic, Irina Falconi and Alison Riske also won.
• Great read here from Doug Robson for NBC Sports, on Serena's decision to return to Indian Wells:
Serena is taking the same attitude to Indian Wells. Her return is a smash-mouth assertion of independence and individuality, now encompassing her closest and dearest. This is Serena proclaiming—not to the media, not to fans, not to sponsors—but to her family: I am my own person. I am an adult. I make my own decisions. Deal with it.
• Howard Bryant for espnW has some details about how the Serena Williams/Indian Wells deal got done. Interesting tidbit: According to sources, no one reached out to Venus come back.
• Andy Murray has appointed Jonas Bjorkman as his second coach alongside current coach Amelie Mauresmo.
• From Ben Rothenberg for The New York Times on Sascha Bajin's switch from Serena's longtime hitting partner to Victoria Azarenka's.
• That's some good air, Roger:
• Follow SI_Tennis on Instagram for boots-on-the-ground pics around Indian Wells.
• More Bieber news: After Eugenie Bouchard played doubles with her celebrity crush, Caroline Wozniacki and Justin Bieber hung out in Indian Wells.
[tweet=https://twitter.com/CaroWozniacki/status/575540355107581952]
• A good interview with James Blake here and another great story on Blake here on SI.com, who is still very much interested in helping with USTA Player Development.
• Great photo of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by tournament photographer Billie Weiss:
[tweet=https://twitter.com/bjweiss22/status/575844439026888704]
