The father of the young Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic claims he was acting in self-defence when he headbutted his son's training partner and broke his nose in Madrid at the weekend.
John Tomic has denied a charge of assault against Thomas Drouet in a brawl outside a hotel where players in the Madrid Masters were staying.
The lawyer for Tomic senior said his client struck his son's training partner with his head only because his own arms were being held by Drouet, and he had to protect himself from falling over.
Drouet earlier claimed he had been "treated like a dog" for years by John Tomic, who once spat in his face, and recently punched his own son in the mouth.
Tomic has opted for a court hearing next week, rather than paying a fine.
