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Gimelstob gets probation, community service over assault case

Los Angeles - Former US tennis player and current ATP Tour board member Justin Gimelstob has been sentenced to three years probation and 60 hours of community labour by a court in Los Angeles following assault charges.

Gimelstob, 41, was sentenced on Monday after pleading no contest to felony battery charges following an incident in October last year.

Gimelstob was accused of attacking former friend Randall Kaplan while the venture capitalist, his wife and their two-year-old daughter were trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Kaplan had sought a restraining order against Gimelstob following the attack, alleging the former tennis star struck him more than 50 times while threatening to kill him.

Gimelstob was also ordered to undergo 52 weeks of anger management classes.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Gimelstob had threatened him before the attack because of his friendship with the tennis official's estranged wife.

Gimelstob had earlier vowed to fight the charges against him, stating in December he would present "the true and complete facts concerning this matter", claiming Kaplan had a history of "toxic interference" in his life.

However, Gimelstob backed down during Monday's court hearing, accepting responsibility for the assault and stating there "is no place for physical violence in society."

Kaplan, meanwhile, said in a statement read to the court that the attack had left him "badly bruised and in a tremendous amount of physical pain" and that he had "never been so scared in my life."

His wife, Madison Kaplan, said the trauma of witnessing her husband being assaulted had contributed to a miscarriage she suffered shortly afterwards.

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