Daily Bagel: Highlights and controversy from Indian Wells
The Daily Bagel is your dose of the interesting reporting, writing and quipping from around the Internet.
• Serena Williams return to Indian Wells begins tonight at 7 p.m. PT against Monica Niculescu. Read about Niculescu here, and watch Serena explain her return her own words:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5-GvRnkYVw]
• If you love A-Ha's "Take On Me" video, you love this creative tribute to Roger Federer. You will also probably love it if you love Roger Federer.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03Y1_UfrKw]
• Taylor Townsend's 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands was the highest quality match of the tournament so far. Incredible hitting from both women and a great battle the end, and a big win for the 18-year-old. Full match available here.
• No. 119 Lin Zhu beat Francesca Schiavone on Thursday afternoon in match marred by controversy. On set point, Zhu hit a ball that bounced on her side of the net before going over for a winner. The umpire missed the call and Schiavone was understandably livid. When asked what she saw on court, Zhu said, "I don't remember." Time for instant replay in tennis? Watch:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fusYYipbHUQ]
Read more on the incident here.
• ESPN's Cari Champion pens an open letter to Serena Williams.
• Ben Rothenberg talked to Patrick Mouratoglou for Slate and learns Mouratoglou repeatedly put Indian Wells on Serena's calendar in hopes she'd change her mind.
• Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori have committed to the Citi Open in Washington D.C. this summer.
• Check out Air Fed in this behind-the-scenes video at the ATP promo shoots.
• Bernard Tomic is in the tabloids again: Court documents include claims from a teenage girl that he bragged about a $50,000 stash of cocaine.
• Another great shot from Thursday from the BNP Paribas Open Instagram:
