60 Minutes: Bernard Tomic denies threatening Lleyton Hewitt’s family

Bernard Tomic has strongly denied accusations he threatened Lleyton Hewitt’s family during their long-running feud.

Bernard Tomic & John Tomic during the 60 Minutes interview.

Bernard Tomic has strongly denied accusations he threatened Lleyton Hewitt’s family during his long-running feud with Australia’s Davis Cup captain.

Hewitt, a former world No 1, alleged during a spat that flared again during the Australian Open that Tomic had repeatedly threatened physical violence towards his family.

Tomic, a winner of four ATP Tour titles, conceded he had threatened Hewitt and said any future confrontation between them could become ugly.

But the Gold Coast resident said Hewitt had reached new lows by claiming he had threatened his children: “I did message him, threatening. The words I said (were) ‘If you come one metre from me I will knock you out.’ And he knows that. ‘If you ever try talk to me, come one metre from me.’ I stand by that.

“But did I mention his family? That’s pretty low. How low do you have to be to mention family, kids and stuff?

“I think that’s one of the lowest things I’ve ever heard from him. I stand by my threats towards him, but not to his family.

“That’s so wrong. For him to say that, that’s really low. To go that low and make me look that bad, that’s really low. ”

Hewitt raised the allegations in response to extraordinary claims from Queenslander Tomic, who accused the Australian icon of abusing his position to award wildcards to both himself and players under his favour.

The Wimbledon champion has strongly denied Tomic’s accusations amid an intervention by Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley at the weekend.

In a searing critique of the former world No 17, Tiley accused Tomic of doing all he could to sabotage Australian tennis.

“Lleyton is right to say Bernard will not be considered for Davis Cup. Bernard does not meet the standards of behaviour and commitment to himself, the team or the sport. Now he is deliberately trying to damage that culture — and not for the first time,” he said. “Our organisation remains deeply disappointed with the ongoing disrespect from Bernard and his father. We have given more than a decade of support. Ultimately, we have to draw a line when the behaviour does not warrant the support.”

In an interview on the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Tomic admitted the attack on Hewitt was premeditated and designed to attract maximum ­attention, given it was made during the Australian Open.

Both Tomic and his father again aired an allegation that Hewitt had threatened the former while he was a teenager during a tie against Taiwan in Melbourne in 2010.

Tiley has denied any knowledge of the incident and said neither Tomic nor his father had lodged an official complaint.

During the saga, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash declared an investigation should be made into claims levelled at Hewitt and Tennis Australia by Tomic. Former coach Mike Ford declared the Tomics were soft targets and demanded their claims be investigated.

The 26-year-old Tomic, whose record when representing Australia is strong, also defended his father over his conviction for assaulting a former Tomic training partner in Spain in 2013.

He conceded he did not always give his best on court and that he had a bad attitude at times, but defended his career.