“You’re just a s**t Andy Murray,” Drunk British fans thrown out for heckling Cameron Norrie at the Australian Open
Intoxicated British fans had to be kicked out of the match after Lestienne refused to take the court.
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Constant Lestienne during the match (Getty Images)
Fans are an inseparable part of any sport around the world be it the individual game of tennis, the beautiful football, or the gentleman’s game of cricket. They are the ones who give meaning to the sport. Without the spectators on the grounds, the games lose their sheen instantly as was seen during the pandemic-induced restrictions around the globe which made the actions muted, players confused and finances drowned.
But sometimes these fans can cause trouble to the game though from sparse corners. Australian Open is one of the most awaited tournaments on the tennis calendar and Australian fans are not famous for being the most well-behaved. But during the second round match between Constant Lestienne and Cameroon Norrie, it was a section of British fans made some ugly scenes and disrupted the smooth action.
The match was going on at midnight because of recurring delays. British fans were supporting their compatriot Norrie who won the match eventually but drunk sledges against the Frenchman Lestienne became the blot for the game.
The intoxicated fans continued abusing the French player with a “Lestienne’s going home” chant. If this was not enough one of them hurled an indecent comment making the matter worse. “Come on, Cameron, you’re the world No.12 – show the c***,” the spectator yelled.
Later on, when Norrie lost a couple of points they turned against him and made a cringeworthy comment. “Just a s*** Andy Murray,” one of them yelled.
Related: WATCH: Roger Federer’s first Grand Slam win at Australian Open 2000
Misbehaving fans eventually kicked out after Lestienne refused to take court
The continued sledges frustrated Lestienne and he refused to take the court when the abuse went too far. Eventually, security had to intervene the misbehaving spectators were ejected from the court. The commentators too were not amused by the ruckus caused by the spectators.
“This is all a bit awkward with spectators heckling Lestienne after he refused to play,” one of the commentators of BBC said. Lestienne too showed his anger in the post-match press conversation. “It definitely spurred me on and got me through it, especially in that third set,” said Lestienne.
Despite the trouble caused by the disruption British star Cameron Norrie went past Lestienne in a thrilling encounter lasting for more than three hours. The 11th seed Norrie had some scare but in the end, he held on to the nerves to secure the third-round spot.
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Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)