Don't ask defeated Roger Federer stupid questions

Roger Federer leaves the court after his Australian Open semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic. Photo / Getty

Unsurprisingly, Roger Federer wasn't the happiest man in the world at his post-match press conference after losing to Novak Djokovic.

So when a journalist asked him a poorly-worded question, a cranky Federer was in no mood for forgiveness.

A reporter asked the Swiss how he felt about Djokovic's recent run of dominance - he won three grand slams in 2015 and became the first man in history to reach six Australian Open finals with his victory tonight - and suggested the Serb didn't have to face the same standard of player these days that Federer himself had to contend with back in the mid-2000s when he was considered the best in the world.

Federer was not impressed with the implication that players today aren't as good as they were a decade ago.

He initially seemed bewildered, looking at the reporter in silence for several seconds before delivering a response.

"You've got to be careful how to phrase the question," a clearly agitated Federer said.
"You don't want to disrespect the other players. You don't have to face them, I've got to face them," he said before calling the query a "stupid question".

The journo clearly wasn't done, asking Djokovic the same question when he fronted the media, but the world No. 1 refused to bite.

Federer enjoyed the support of the Melbourne crowd more-so than Djokovic. Every point the Swiss won was met with deafening noise, while the cheers were noticeably quieter for the Serb.

Djokovic was asked how he felt about Federer receiving the majority of the crowd support, but he handled the question with typical humility.

"I try not to focus on that. I feel like I enjoy a lot of support around the world," he said.
"When I play Roger it's expected ... he's loved and respected around the world. For me it's normal in a way."

Radio Sport commentator Matt Brown on Djokovic dominance

The first two sets of last night's semi final was the most remarkable display I have ever seen on a hard court. Djokovic turned in a master class with mesmerising ground strokes, passing shots, phenomenal serving and a ruthlessness that made Federer look ordinary.

The Swiss was in superb form heading into the match, but Djokovic has taken the game to a new level and he is well on the way to surpassing Federer's Grand Slam record 17 titles. (he has 10 and surely heading for 11 Sunday night) No one can stop him right now on hard courts. Federer was aggressive but Djokovic did everything better to leave the Swiss great dumbfounded.

Federer's quality is such that he was able to fight back in the third set by introducing more variety in his game with slices and deft drop shots to extend the match, but there was still a sense of inevitability in the result.

I can only think of one other match where Federer has been so ruthlessly dispatched, the 2008 French Open final where Rafael Nadal won 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.

For two sets and hour and a half this was strikingly similar. But Federer's quality is such that he was able to fight back in the third set by introducing more variety in his game with slices and deft drop shots to extend the match, but there was still a sense of inevitability in the result.

He's never been as popular as Federer or Rafael Nadal but it's time to acknowledge that Djokovic deserves to be held in the same esteem as his rivals. He now leads the head to head with all his major opponents.

- news.com.au