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Tomic's father guilty of assault

Thomas Drouet was left with a broken nose after being headbutted by Bernard Tomic's father © Getty Images

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The father and coach of Bernard Tomic has been found guilty of headbutting his son's training partner before the Madrid Open in May.

A Spanish court handed John Tomic an eight-month sentence for the assault on Thomas Drouet, who suffered a broken nose and bruised vertebrae as well as needing corrective surgery after the incident on May 4 outside a Madrid hotel.

But in line with Spanish law, John Tomic - who claimed he was acting in self-defence - will not have to go to prison since he has no criminal record and the sentence is for less than two years.

The judge presiding over the court found "Mr. Tomic dealt a headbutt to the face of Mr. Drouet. It was not proven that Mr. Drouet had previously assaulted Mr. Tomic."

Bernard Tomic is ranked No. 52 in the world by the ATP © Getty Images

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The court also ordered John Tomic to remain 500 metres away from Drouet. The decision can be appealed.

The ATP handed John Tomic an initial 12-month suspension from all events pending the outcome of the court case, and said on Friday that the ban remains in place, with no change to their position planned.

Drouet welcomed the sentencing as "good news". He said: "He [John Tomic] should never be allowed to attend matches again."

The court heard in July that Drouet had been asked by John Tomic to "step aside for a quiet word" before he was spat at and assaulted.

Bernard Tomic, ranked at No. 52 in the world by the ATP, has a promising career ahead of him but it has been sprinkled with controversy.

In November, he was fined and put on a 12-month good-behaviour bond after twice being stopped by police for driving offences near his Gold Coast home.

In late October, police were called to a high-rise apartment building in the Australian resort of Surfers Paradise after residents saw two men, one of them naked, wrestling and fighting in a hot tub on the balcony. One of the men was later identified as Tomic.

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