The Wimbledon authorities are to call in Australian tennis player BERNARD TOMIC for further talks, after he dropped heavy hints that his father JOHN TOMIC "may be breaking the ban imposed on him by the All England Club," according to Mark Ryan of the London DAILY MAIL. John Tomic is facing an assault charge in Spain after allegedly head-butting Bernard's training partner THOMAS DROUET, "allegedly after an argument over pay." Security guards on every gate at Wimbledon "had a photograph of John Tomic, with strict instructions not to let him enter." But after beating Frenchman RICHARD GASQUET in four sets, Bernard Tomic "suggested that his father may have gained entry anyway, perhaps using a disguise." Asked if he would ask the All England Club to lift the ban if he reached the quarter-finals, "Bernard Tomic merely grinned." Then he said enigmatically, "Yeah, well, maybe my dad is watching. Maybe you guys just can't see him." Tomic was then asked an even more direct question -- "whether he thought John Tomic was somewhere on Centre Court" for Friday's match. Bernard grinned knowingly, "Well, you don't know my dad. You just don't know. He could be there." An All England Club spokesperson said, "We will be speaking to Tomic again about this. But beyond that, we cannot speak about security matters" (DAILY MAIL, 6/29).
