Daily Bagel: Novak Djokovic explains how to pronounce his last name on TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nDdtvbu8hw
The Daily Bagel is your dose of the interesting reporting, writing and quipping from around the Internet.
• Video: Novak Djokovic finally explains to Jim Courier how to properly pronounce his name. Hint: Put the "jock" away. This Djoker likes to make "jokes."
• Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have looked unstoppable in Melbourne. Writing for Fox Sports Australia, Will Swanton suspects their early-season success has a whole lot to do with love.
• Roger Federer was voted Hello! Online's most elegant man, though someone should tell the site he's actually not the current world No. 1.
• Cute story here in The New York Timeson Marian Vajda's nerves while watching his daughter compete in the Australian Open juniors event. Thankfully, he's got some practice after watching Djokovic all these years.
• As Reuters reports, with the hiring of Carlos Rodriguez, Li Na has found harmony on and off the court.
The new arrangement has been beneficial for all parties, with Rodriguez helping to quell Li's mental demons, while harmonizing the player's marriage.
"(Jiang) is happier with the arrangement, for sure," said Li, whose husband had often been caught in the cross-fire of her on-court frustrations.
"I think the two of us feel a bit more relaxed about things. We've never quite been able to find the perfect balance between life and work. So there would be some friction at times.
"But now he's just my husband. So now both of us are thinking, 'why didn't we do this earlier?'"
• The Operation Puerto trial of Dr. Euphuemiano Fuentes will not focus on the doctor's alleged doping ties to tennis. WADA officials are not pleased and allege a cover-up by Spanish officials.
But despite Fuentes freely admitting to working with professional footballers and tennis players as well as cyclists, the Spanish authorities have ruled that the case will only cover his involvement in cycling.
The failure to explore in court Fuentes’s work outside cycling has infuriated the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and led to accusations of a cover-up to limit the impact on Spain’s sporting reputation.
• All flash and no fire? French tennis is looking for a solution, but it's about the players and not the system.
"At this stage, I don't think Gael [Monfils] has the maturity to win a grand slam," said Fabrice Santoro, who won two grand slam doubles titles.
"He has the talent and if he works hard for the next year, two years then maybe he could do something in Paris, but right now, I don't think he is ready."
Forget said Monfils had the talent to win one but whether he does or not has nothing to do with the French Federation or the fact of being French.
"He has to dig deep within himself and make that commitment. I think he's trying but he hasn't found the right answers yet.
• With all the calls on television about using the hindrance rule to curb grunting, here's a very good primer on why in many cases it actually can't be used to penalize grunters. It's helpful to know the rules.
• Great photos of Federer and Bernard Tomic over time.
• Video: Rafael Nadal is still practicing. For a guy who made a name for himself wearing capris, those shorts are looking mighty short, no?
