John Tomic: Bernard in question for French Open

Bernard Tomic withdrew from this week's Italian Open. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) Bernard Tomic could miss the French Open, according to his father and coach,

Bernard Tomic withdrew from this week's Italian Open. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Bernard Tomic could miss the French Open, according to his father and coach, John.

John Tomic's comments came Tuesday after a court appearance related to his alleged assault of his son's hitting partner, Thomas Drouet.

[T]omic Sr said he did not believe his son would now play at the Roland Garros grand slam event.

“We don’t know, probably not,” Tomic Sr told News Limited when asked if his son would be playing in the French tournament.

When asked if he was not fit enough mentally, Tomic added: “You guys created this situation.”

Bernard Tomic withdrew from this week's Italian Open, the final major warm-up event for the French Open, citing personal reasons. He lost in the first round of last week's Madrid Open. The 20-year-old Tomic, ranked No. 52, has won one match in three career appearances at Roland Garros.

John Tomic has been charged with assault after allegedly head-butting Drouet near their hotel before the Madrid Open. The ATP has suspended the elder Tomic's tournament credentials until completing its investigation into the incident. The ITF has also suspended the coach's credentials, meaning he's banned from the French Open and any junior tournaments at which his daughter, 15-year-old Sara, might compete.

The trial has been postponed until October after Drouet did not appear for a scheduled hearing Tuesday. No reason was given for his absence. News Limitedreported that Drouet is still committed to pursuing the charges.

John Tomic reportedly met privately with Drouet's lawyers Tuesday in an attempt to resolve the case quickly. No settlement was reached.

Meanwhile, The Australian published an interview Tuesday with former WTA pro Carling Bassett-Seguso, who said John Tomic threatened her son during a match against Bernard at the 2004 Orange Bowl.

A semi-finalist at the US Open and quarter-finalist at grand slam events in Melbourne and Paris, Bassett-Seguso watched in horror as Tomic started abusing her son Ridley during an under-12 match against Bernard Tomic. "I have witnessed many situations of abuse in junior tennis from the parents. I have never seen one where a man would have fought a young teenager, if Rob hadn't pulled Holden away."

When her older son Holden told John Tomic to stop his abuse, Bassett-Seguso believes that only the intervention of her husband, former grand slam winning doubles player Robert Seguso, prevented the altercation from turning violent.

"If Rob had not been there, Holden told me they would have had a fight. Can you imagine seeing this?" she said.