Bernie earns Safin nod

Former Russian hellraiser says Aussie far wilder

MARAT Safin, one of grand slam’s celebrated hellraisers, claims he has nothing on Bernard Tomic.

The former world No.1 insists his alleged excesses, which didn’t stop him winning two majors, were greatly exaggerated.

And, while he concedes there were wild nights, he says he’s not in the same league as Tomic.

Now retired from politics – he served six years as a representative of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party – Safin was challenged in Paris to nominate the most outrageous party animal in tennis.

L’Equipe newspaper posed the question which player prefers “fiesta (party) or tennis.”

“Bernard Tomic, I think, has got all the records, as far as I heard anyway,” Safin said.

“Fiesta (party) or tennis? I don’t know. But for him (Tomic), it’s fiesta, fiesta, fiesta – and then tennis.”

Tomic last year reputedly spent $50,000 on a single night at Melbourne’s Bond nightclub, entertaining guests with a helicopter ride, a private pre-club dinner, vintage Champagne, premium caviar, cocktails, private security and a personalised sound and lighting show.

Three years ago, Tomic was arrested during a drunken party at his $10,000-a-night penthouse apartment in Miami.

Florida police released a mugshot of the former world No.17 after he spent the day sobering up at a correctional centre.

Tomic regularly frequents Gold Coast nightclubs and this week returned to his Monte Carlo base – where Safin once ran amok.

Safin was hardly a hermit during his days on tour.

He once turned up in Australia with two black eyes, legacy of a Moscow bar-room brawl.

In 2002, for each of his matches en route to the Australian Open final, Safin filled his support box with three blonde women.