Bernard Tomic slammed for 'creepy' act during TV interview

Bernard Tomic has doubled down on his threat to Lleyton Hewitt during a “cringeworthy” TV interview that’s infuriated viewers.

The Aussie tennis bad boy created headlines during the Australian Open after launching a brutal tirade against the tennis legend and Australian Davis Cup captain.

Quizzed on the comments and his fractured relationship with Hewitt during an interview with Allison Langdon that aired on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Tomic said he had no regrets about the damaging rift he’d caused in Australian tennis.

“I stand by my threats towards him,” Tomic told Langdon, who he repeatedly winked at throughout the interview – much to the ire of viewers.

Tomic confirmed that he had threatened to knock Hewitt out if the Aussie legend ever tried to talk to him.

Joined by his father John during the interview, the pair repeated the accusations that Hewitt had intimidated a young Tomic at the beginning of his Davis Cup career.

Hewitt said during the recent Australian Open that Tomic wouldn’t be considered for Davis Cup selection during his tenure as captain.

His comments came after Tomic, after his first-round loss in Melbourne, bitterly criticised Hewitt, saying no one liked the Australian captain and accusing him of favouring certain players.

Hewitt in turn claimed Tomic had threatened his family.

However, Tomic vehemently denies this being the case.

“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 that I’ve ever heard from him. I stand by my threats towards him, but not to his family,” Tomic stressed.

On the alleged Dais Cup incident in 2010 when Tomic was a teenager, the 26-year-old claims Hewitt left his son “traumatised” by pressuring him into revealing who in Tennis Australia was “against” him.

“He sat me down and said, ‘You’re not playing Davis Cup mate tomorrow … unless you tell me these things’,” Tomic said.

“I was intimidated, I was harassed. That’s all I’ll say. I was 16 years old [sic] at a Davis Cup tie in Melbourne, Grand Hyatt [hotel]. I’ll stand by that. Further matters will be taking place.”

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has since rubbished those claims.

“In regards to … an alleged incident in 2010, we are not aware of any formal complaint lodged by either John or Bernard,” Tiley said.

“Both Bernard and John have enjoyed a lot of support since in many areas of their lives, including a long and sustained period of personal commitment and wholehearted effort from Lleyton Hewitt as Davis Cup captain.

Tomic insisted that he would love to represent Australia in Davis Cup again but his chances appear slim according to Tiley.

“Our organisation remains deeply disappointed with the ongoing disrespect from Bernard and his father,” Tiley said.

“We have given more than a decade of support. Ultimately, we have to draw a line when the behaviour does not warrant the support.”

Hewitt snubbed Tomic for selection in Australia’s Davis Cup tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the Aussies won in Adelaide.

Last Tuesday in the lead-up to the tie, Hewitt refused to discuss his ongoing feud with Tomic.

“I’m not going to waste my time on that now,” Hewitt said at the time.

With agencies