Daily Bagel: Tommy Haas' special day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r05cr-AJS0
The Daily Bagel is your dose of the interesting reporting, writing and quipping from around the Internet.
• Video: This point just seems to sum up Grigor Dimitrov. He's at his best when he's scrambling and keeping his opponents off guard.
• Tommy Haas tells ATPWorldTour.com that it was a dream come true to have daughter Valentina courtside to watch him play in Miami.
I've always said when I became a father, how special it would be to see my daughter in my box. I know it's a little cheesy sometimes, but to have those memories one day is going to be fantastic. ... It's very surreal.
Sharapova's cryptic signature move
• Peter Bodo catches up with Li Na in Miami, her first tournament since making the Australian Open final. After being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in her foot, Li said she spent time working on her communication with coach Carlos Rodriguez.
They also worked on an aspect of their relationship that Li has come to prize, now that she and Rodriguez are beyond the honeymoon phase of their relationship: Communication. Li was surprised by how much Rodriguez liked to talk and communicate, and even more amazed at how easily his proclivities that way rubbed off on her. “I am really happy I can work with him,” she said. “He never gives me the pressure, he always tries to learn me to speak out.”
Li went on to surmise that Chinese, in general, are a little different than westerners in how easily or freely they express themselves. Speaking for herself, Li admitted that she had always tended to clam up, to keep her thoughts and feelings bottled up. “I always before like to hold (those feelings and thoughts) to myself,” she confessed. “Before, my team didn’t even know what I was thinking about before a match. Now, if feeling uncomfortable, happy, whatever . . . I feel I can speak out and the team can share how I am feeling.”
Djokovic with Panettiere, Klitschko, Wozniacki, McIlroy at Heat game
• Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times speaks with Wayne Odesnik, who has become persona non grata after a doping ban.
His presence irked many of his fellow Americans, who criticized the shortening of his penalty and distanced themselves from him. He drew similar ire from players and the news media at Wimbledon last year, his first Grand Slam main draw appearance since he was disciplined.
“It was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve had to deal with,” Odesnik said of the reception he received on his return to the sport, in an interview at Indian Wells, Calif. “Just because your reputation takes a bit of a knock and things of that sort when — whatever the case may have been. But like I said, just trying to conduct myself in the best way that I know how, and just move on with my life and my career, and try to do the best that I can.”
• With partner Sam Stosur out of the tournament with a calf injury, 39-year-old doubles stalwart Lisa Raymond has teamed up with 19-year-old Laura Robson for the Sony Open and the duo is into the quarterfinals. Raymond, who joked that Robson was young enough to be her daughter, first played the Sony Open in 1994. That would be the year Robson was born.
• A former tennis pro has been sentenced to more than 11 years for forcing four children into slavery.
• Non-tennis: I love Japan for many reasons. One of those reasons is that stores like this exist. Take that, Sugarpova!
