THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC . . . BUT TERRIBLY SAD FOR THE GIRL
By Mike Hedge and Chris Lines
MELBOURNE, Jan 19 - Jelena Dokic described her estranged :eek: father’s latest tirade as an unfortunate distraction'', distancing herself from his threats to kidnap the 22-year-old and to kill an Australian in revenge for her loss in a tennis match here this week. Dokic, who returned to Australia late last year after her father Damir took her to Serbia in 2001 amid claims she was the victim of a tennis conspiracy, said she had spent her life dealing with his similar erratic behaviour. This has proven to be yet another unfortunate distraction around my return to Australia and competitive tennis,’’ Dokic said.
``I have spent my life recovering from events such as this.’’
Damir Dokic, who has been kicked out of both the US Open and Wimbledon tournaments after displaying erratic behaviour, was reported in a Serbian newspaper saying he wanted to drop a nuclear bomb on Australia.
He also accused Croatians and Catholics of brainwashing his daughter into returning to Australia where he and his family had lived for seven years.
Australia with the help of Croatia and the :confused: Vatican have brainwashed my daughter,'' Damir told the daily newspaper Kurir. I have thought about dropping a :rolleyes: nuclear bomb on Sydney since Jelena lost in the first round this week, for which Australia is to blame.
I have even thought about :rolleyes: killing an Australian in revenge, but I wouldn't gain anything from it.'' Speaking on a Melbourne radio station today, Damir Dokic denied he had made the nuclear bomb threat. The man who once coached Jelena said today his feelings towards Australian tennis had not changed after his daughter lost to Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano in the first round of the Australian Open this week when a vital line call went against her. Jelena has been cheated and the ball was in and this only really happens in Australia and Australians have cheated her again :o ,’’ he said through an interpreter.
He made no comment on claims in his newspaper interview that he had sought help from Serbian politicians, including an accused war criminal to kidnap Jelena, but one of his supposed candidates for the task was awaiting trial in Holland as a :eek: war criminal.
In the interview, Dokic said Australia could expect his revenge and also claimed he was sane.
I'm not crazy when I say this, they are the crazy ones who give you :mad: hot sausages before the match when it's 40 degrees celsius outside.'' In the written statement she released through her managers Ace Group International, Jelena thanked Australians for their support since she returned to the country in early December, five years after storming out after Damir claimed the Australian Open draw was :( rigged against her. I have been overwhelmed by the support and friendship 
I have been shown by the Australian public since I returned … which has proven to me that the decision to come back was the right one,’’ said the former Wimbledon semi-finalist.
I have not spoken to my father for a number of years and we do not agree on anything. This is not the first time he has made threats publicly to my wellbeing, so I am not going to allow this latest episode to disrupt my future happiness and I wish to distance myself totally from his reported views.’’
While Damir Dokic said he had been misquoted in the Serbian newspaper, tennis authorities were not prepared to disregard his threats.
Women’s Tennis Association spokeswoman Raquel Martin said the WTA would continue to support Jelena in whatever way it could.
``Our biggest concern is the wellbeing of Jelena Dokic,’’ Martin said.
Dokic is not playing in any other events at the championship.
