(ANSA-AFP) - MELBOURNE, JAN 20 - A leading TV presenter
apologised on-air Monday to Novak Djokovic after mocking the
24-time Grand Slam winner and his Serbian fans at the Australian
Open, saying it was meant to be banter. The 37-year-old tennis
great refused to do a routine on-court interview after beating
Jiri Lehecka in three sets on Rod Laver Arena to make the
quarter-finals on Sunday evening. Afterwards he said it was in
protest at Tony Jones, a top sports presenter with host
broadcaster Channel Nine, who he accused of "insulting and
offensive comments" towards him and Serbian fans. Djokovic said
he would boycott interviews with the TV station until he got an
apology. "The comments were made on the news on the Friday
night, which I considered to be banter. I considered it to be
humour, which is consistent with most things I do," Jones said
on Monday. "Having said that, I was made aware on Saturday
morning, from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp, that the
Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments. "As such
I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued and apology
to them -- 48 hours ago -- for any disrespect that Novak felt,
that I had caused. "As I stand here now I can only stand by that
apology to Novak." (ANSA-AFP).
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