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Hours After an Enthralling Match With Fabio Fognini, 35-Year-Old Andy Murray Vents Out Frustration Against Rowdy Italian Crowd for Their Aggressive Behavior

Published 05/11/2023, 6:45 AM EDT

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via Reuters

The Italian tennis star, Fabio Fognini outclassed Andy Murray in a thrilling three-set clash of the ATP Tour Masters 1000 in Rome. A contentious incident, however, took place during the match when the British tennis legend lashed out at the chair umpire for making a wrong call.

Taking note of his argument with the umpire, the spectators started jeering the 35-year-old player. In order to defend his actions, the former World No. 1 has now come forward on social media. Meanwhile, he also fired back at the fans who booed him during his first-round defeat at the Italian Open.

Andy Murray vents his frustrations after getting get knocked out of the Italian Open

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In the very first round of the renowned clay-court event, Andy Murray was stunned by his Italian opponent in a three-set thriller, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. During the eighth game of the first set, however, the British tennis star was left fuming because of a contentious line call in favor of his rival, Fabio Fognini.

Mohamed Lahyani, who was the chair umpire for the match, made the decision that the ball was in when it was actually outside of the line after the Italian tennis star played a backhand shot. As the Hawkeye tennis line-calling system was not there at the clay-court tournament in Rome. Due to the same, Lahyani didn’t change his decision which further infuriated the former Wimbledon champion.

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The 35-year-old player didn’t hold himself back from confronting the chair umpire as he argued over the wrong line call decision. Taking note of his conversation with Lahyani, the spectators started booing the former World No. 1 player. A video clip of the controversial incident was also brought to light on Instagram by the official page of TennisTV.

 

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Murray also came across that post as he commented to vent out his frustrations toward the fans. He said, “Stadium full of Italians booing and whistling, thinking I’m trying to cheat Fabio out of point all because Mo couldn’t read a mark properly. Cheers mate.”  

Murray also lashed out after his defeat at the clay-court event in Madrid

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The ATP player has never shied away from his voicing his opinions on various matters in the tennis community. Even after his defeat in the first round of the Madrid Open, Murray was quite blunt in his expressing his displeasure with the tournament’s revamped format.

READ MORE- ‘He Kicked My A**’ – Novak Djokovic Wary of the Past as an Exciting Encounter With Long-Time Rival Awaits in Dubai

The renowned clay-court event, which used to be a one-week stint, has now become a two weeks format. However, the former Wimbledon champion was not impressed with the decision as he believed it will affect the schedule of the participants.

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What do you think of the contentious line call which infuriated the British tennis legend? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Anurag Gusain

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Anurag Gusain is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. Being a huge tennis fan, he enjoys watching the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal dominate other superstars on the ATP Tour. His coverage of Nadal's 14 French Open titles has been hailed as some of the best in the business, showcasing his talent for storytelling and his ability to capture the essence of the sport.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra