Russian superstar Daniil Medvedev had some words for the fans at Rod Laver Arena following his win over Australian star Nick Kyrgios.
The world No2, who came into the match as the heavy favourite, was tested by a gutsy performance from Kyrgios in a gruelling four-set match, 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 4-6 6-2.
During his on-court interview after the win, Medvedev hit out at the fans in attendance for chanting and keeping the noise levels to a high while speaking to US tennis great Jim Courier.
READ MORE: Kyrgios opens up on COVID-19 struggles
READ MORE: Maxwell smashes record-breaking BBL century at the MCG
Medvedev, who appeared to believe that the noises being made were loud booing, paused the interview and urged the crowd to “at least” show respect to Courier, a two-time Australian Open champion.
“Guys I can’t hear him, please show some respect for Jim Courier – he won here guys,” Medvedev said to the fans.
“Let him speak, please. If you respect somebody – at least respect Jim Courier.
“I can’t hear him.”
While there may have been some boos given Medvedev was playing in a hostile environment against crowd favourite Kyrgios, Courier went on to explain to the Russian star that the noise being made was in fact “Siu”.
Stream every match, every court of the Australian Open live and free on 9Now.
This year’s Australian Open has notably featured many fans chanting “Siu”.
The chant is an imitation of Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo‘s iconic celebration that has gone viral in recent years, which Courier explained to Medvedev.
In response, Medvedev replied: “What I’m saying is, between first and second serve it wasn’t easy [the noise].
“I remember the games I lost, on the breakpoints, it was tough to play.”
In an interview with Euro Sport shortly after the match, Medvedev vented his frustrations even more at the chants by declaring, “It’s disappointing… It’s not everybody who is doing it, but those who are doing it probably have a low IQ.”
https://twitter.com/gasparlanca/status/1484128298359742465
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!