Mike Curry just wants people to focus on tennis -- and not his off-court indiscretion.

Five days after a drinking binge disrupted his doubles match at the Colonial Open, Curry preferred to talk about his semi-final singles match on Wednesday night against Ricky Mallory.

And it was only after commenting on the media and other players -- statements he later retracted -- that he got around to saying something many observers felt was a long time coming: Sorry.

"I was wrong,'' Curry said yesterday, a day after his 6-7, 2-6 loss to Mallory in the men's semi-final at Pomander Gate.

"I regret any inconvenience my actions may have caused to the fans.'' In his first public comments since the incident last Saturday, the popular veteran didn't deny accounts that he was intoxicated, prompting his playing partner, James Collieson, to storm off the court in disgust.

Curry wouldn't comment on reasons behind his conduct or probable sanctions from the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association. And he wondered what all the fuss was about.

"It's not life or death. It's a tennis match,'' he said.

But that "casual'' attitude irked Bermuda's Davis Cup coach and veteran player Steve Bean, who witnessed Saturday's events.

"Top players are supposed to be setting an example for everbody around them,'' he said yesterday. "For him to set that type of example I don't think is in the best interest of tennis, not to mention what it says about the player.'' "Tennis is losing right now and things like this set it back even further.'' Curry was more enthusiastic about the tournament, pointing to his match against Mallory -- he was serving at 5-4 and lost two set points in the first set -- Jill Finnegan's three-set victory over Donna Bradshaw in the women's semi-finals on Wednesday and last night's other men's semi-final between Collieson, the number three seed, and top seeded Michael Way in which Collieson emerged a surprise 7-6, 6-4 winner.

CURRY -- `I was wrong'