SYDNEY • Bernard Tomic has accepted blame for his arrest in Miami but says police did not give him enough time to leave his US$7,000 (S$9,560)-a-night hotel penthouse following complaints of loud music and early morning partying.
The 22-year-old Australian was arrested, handcuffed and transported to Miami's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre early on Wednesday, in an incident the country's former Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter says suggests its top-ranked but controversial tennis player has "hit rock bottom".
According to the arrest affidavit, witnesses said Tomic closed the door on security guards, pointing at them as the party continued. When police attempted to evict him, his guests departed but the player verbally and physically disobeyed the officer.
He was arrested and charged with trespassing and resisting an officer without violence before being released on US$2,000 (S$2,731) bail.
"Obviously it was disappointing what happened," Tomic told Australia's Channel Seven in comments broadcast yesterday. "It was a bit interesting, obviously I couldn't control what happened.
"I feel sad in one way. They were doing their job, I was playing music loud, there were several complaints coming from the rooms. For sure it was my mistake and I guess I have to pay the price for it."
It continues a tumultuous fortnight for the world No. 25. He was kicked off Australia's Davis Cup team for a tirade against Tennis Australia officials, including Rafter, during Wimbledon. He also lost in the first round of this week's Hall of Fame Championships.
Without Tomic, Australia trailed Kazakhstan 0-2 in their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final in Darwin yesterday, as the spotlight moved to another bad boy.
After Mikhail Kukushkin defeated teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, world No. 115 Aleksandr Nedovyesov stunned the 41st-ranked Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
The latter's shock loss came with a cry of "I don't want to be here" during the match, as it seemed like he might be displaying his increasingly trademark bad behaviour.
Asked to clarify what he meant, he indicated it was frustration with himself. "I didn't think I was having that much fun out there to be honest," he said.
THE GUARDIAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
