Tennis star Roger Federer has reacted tersely to a reporter who asked him a question about the quality of opponent Novak Djokovic is used to playing.

Federer, speaking after his four-set Australian Open semi-final loss to the Serbian, branded the reporter’s question “stupid”.

• Djokovic sets up delicious semi against Federer
• The woman who just might tame wild child Nick Kyrgios
• Murray sees off Ferrer challenge at Open

The reporter seemed to suggest that Djokovic could be more dominant than Federer had been, inferring the Serbian did not have to face a similar level of opponent than the Swiss champion.

“I don’t ask them stupid questions like that,” Federer said. “You don’t want to be rude to the other players. I don’t have to face them, you have to face them.

Watch the exchange below:

The same reporter then asked the same question to Djokovic in his press conference. “It is hard to know what the future is going to bring,” Djokovic said. “Obviously tennis is different from when I was growing up and it is more difficult.” 

@AustralianOpen why was Roger Federer’s post match press conference edited to exclude one specific Q&A on the website? #aohelp — Adrian Caruso (@caruse18) January 28, 2016

Interestingly, it seemed the Australian Open YouTube account edited the vision of the press conference to exclude the awkward exchange.

Others were irate that the reporter would take such a line to someone of Federer’s ilk.

Julia Duong tweeted: “Can journalists pls stop asking Federer stupid q’s about his dominance 10 yrs ago compared to now?”