British tennis fans kicked out for chanting ‘You’re just a s*** Andy Murray’ at Cameron Norrie

British tennis fans are kicked out for chanting ‘You’re just a s*** Andy Murray’ during Cameron Norrie’s Australian Open victory

  • Three British fans chanted ‘you’re just a s*** Andy Murray at Cameron Norrie
  • Norrie later beat unseeded Frenchman Constant Lestienne at Australian Open  
  • Fans were kicked out of stadium by security after umpire briefly stopped play 

British tennis fans were kicked out of a stadium for chanting ‘You’re just a s*** Andy Murray‘ at Cameron Norrie during his victorious match against a French player at the Australian Open

The British number one faced a mixture of support and abuse from rowdy fans during his match against the unseeded Frenchman Constant Lestienne, which he won three sets to one.

After Norries took a 4-3 lead over Lestienne in the first set, three British fans could be heard loudly cheering on the British tennis player during his second-round match.

But the trio, beer cans in hand, began abusing Norrie when he lost points and shouted that he was ‘just a s*** Andy Murray’ and were kicked out of the stadium by security guards. 

But the trio, beer cans in hand, began abusing Norrie when he lost points and shouted that he was ‘just a s*** Andy Murray’ and were kicked out of the stadium by security guards

The British number one (pictured during his match on January 18) faced a mixture of support and abuse from rowdy fans during his match against the unseeded Frenchman Constant Lestienne, which he won three sets to one

The British number one (pictured during his match on January 18) faced a mixture of support and abuse from rowdy fans during his match against the unseeded Frenchman Constant Lestienne, which he won three sets to one

The rowdy fans also got to Lestienne after they kept chanting ‘England’ and ‘Constant’s going home’. 

Norrie took it in good spirits, saying: ‘In the first set there was a lot of English fans. And they had the football chants going, which was good fun, and then obviously they got kicked out.

‘I could still hear them in the second set. But it was a great atmosphere. It’s great obviously on one of the outside courts for them to stay around and support, especially playing so late and cold and everything, so it definitely spurred me on and got me through it, especially in that third set.’ 

Lestienne didn’t take it so well. He was given a time violation penalty by the match umpire and refused to play at one point, leading some of the fans to heckle the French player.

‘This is all a bit awkward with spectators heckling Lestienne after he refused to play, BBC commentator David Law said during the match. 

‘Lestienne’s irritation is there for all to see, he is jabbering away at the umpire, and I don’t think he wants to be out there.

Constant Lestienne of France talks to the chair umpire in their round two singles match against Cameron Norrie in Australia on January 18

Constant Lestienne of France talks to the chair umpire in their round two singles match against Cameron Norrie in Australia on January 18 

The spectators began abusing Norrie when he lost points and shouted that he was 'just a s*** Andy Murray (pictured)' and were kicked out of the stadium by security guards

The spectators began abusing Norrie when he lost points and shouted that he was ‘just a s*** Andy Murray (pictured)’ and were kicked out of the stadium by security guards

‘Somebody in the crowd has just shouted “Come on mate, we’ve waited all day for this”. The locals are not happy. Lestienne is fuming and his bad mood is about to get worse.’

Norrie finally wrapped up the match with a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (2) 6-3 victory over Lestienne at 1.28am this morning.

Persistent rain in Melbourne meant the match, which was last on the schedule, did not begin until 10pm local time having been moved to an outside court. 

Norrie’s win means the British player has moved through to a third-round clash with talented young Czech Jiri Lehecka.

Persistent rain in Melbourne meant the match, which was last on the schedule, did not begin until 10pm local time having been moved to an outside court.

During the match, Lestienne drove Norrie to distraction with his unconventional use of slice and trick shots, which included an attempted lob played through his legs when down set point in the opener.

The British number one smashed that one away but things became complicated in the second and he looked in real trouble when down 5-2 in the third.

But Norrie, seeded 11, has toughed out so many matches over the past two years and he fought his way back, winning the set on a tie-break, before finally overcoming Lestienne and his own frustration in the fourth.

‘Nails conditions,’ he said. ‘Completely different than what I’ve been playing in the last couple of weeks – freezing, windy and obviously it was tough playing him, he barely missed any first serves.

‘It was swirling and he was one of the toughest guys out there to play today in those conditions, but I found a way in the end. For 90 per cent of that I was not there mentally so it was nice to pull it back.’