Why did Andy Murray feel he was booed at the Australian Open?

Andy Murray believed he was "booed" by sections of the crowd during his first-round victory at Australian Open 2022 on Tuesday. However, it turned out that those spectators were emulating Cristiano Ronaldo's epic goal celebration, 'SIUU.'

Andy Murray survived a tough match against Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the Australian Open 2022. After toiling hard for three hours and 55 minutes on the court, the Brit finally managed to defeat his opponent in five sets with the final scoreline of 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 5(5)-7 to 6-7(5)

Intriguingly, Murray's win over Basilashvili was his first victory at the Australian Open in 1,822 days.

During Murray's post-match interview, a few spectators began chanting, 'siuuu', which Murray mistook for booing.

"I mean, painful stuff there. Those guys..." said Murray while answering a question.

However, Murray's confusion became clear later when he found out that the fans didn't boo him but instead did Ronaldo's signature celebration, 'SIUU' which means 'yes' in Spanish.

In the post-match press conference, the former World No. 1 player claimed it was an "incredibly irritating" gesture by fans. He even highlighted that he was also booed on Monday during his practice session.

"Initially, I thought it was (jeering), because there were some people booing during my practice yesterday. I have no idea what for. But then after a few times it was like: no, they're doing that, I think it's like 'Siuu' or something that Ronaldo does when he scores. And, yeah, it was incredibly irritating. Yeah, I think that's what they were doing," said Murray.

Interestingly, Nick Kyrgios also celebrated his first-round win over Liam Boardy at the Australian Open on Tuesday with Ronaldo's 'SIUU.'

Andy Murray will lock horns against Taro Daniel in the second round of the Australian Open 2022

Andy Murray will square off against Japan's Taro Daniel on Thursday in the second round of the Australian Open 2022. Beginning the Grand Slam as a qualifier, Daniel is yet to lose a set at this year's Happy Slam and booked his place in the second round after battling past Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera.

Taro Daniel at the Australian Open 2022

Head-to-head, Murray currently has a 1-0 lead over Daniel. Their only face-off came in 2016 when the Brit defeated the Japanese player in straight sets.

Andy Murray at the Australian Open 2022

Andy Murray is eyeing his fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2022, a Major where he has ended up as the runner-up on five occasions.

---

Also check out: Australian Open 2022 Schedule of Play

---