New York: Bernard Tomic's agent asked the US Open to give the player's father a credential despite a tour-wide ban, and the US Tennis Association turned the request down, tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier said on Sunday.
"We opted not to credential him," Widmaier said in an interview. "Our desire is to make it as difficult as possible for him to gain entry to the US Open." John Tomic, who also is his son's coach, was barred earlier this year from gaining official access to tournaments by the ATP and the International Tennis Federation after being accused of head-butting Bernard's hitting partner when they were in Spain for a tournament.
Bernard Tomic is a 20-year-old Australian who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2011, and reached the fourth round at the All England Club in July. Considered his country's most promising young tennis player, he has been ranked as high as 27th, and is currently 52nd.
He is scheduled to play Albert Ramos of Spain on the Grandstand on Monday, the first day of main-draw action at the US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.
After winning his first-round match at Wimbledon this year, the younger Tomic criticized the ATP for preventing his father from attending tournaments for 12 months, saying the tour rushed to judgment in the case.
Both the French Open and Wimbledon said John Tomic wouldn't be allowed entry into their tournaments' facilities, even if he were to purchase a ticket. Widmaier said the US Open would follow that policy, too.
"Our gate personnel that scan tickets will have been informed that he's an unwanted guest," Widmaier said. "It would be within our right to escort him off the grounds. However, we have not determined what our exact policy will be at this time."
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