Australian Open 2018: Roger Federer says he will never wear sleeveless like Rafael Nadal, wants to see him sporting capri pants again 

What's the story?

Swiss Ace Roger Federer booked a semi-finals spot in the ongoing Australian Open 2018 after beating rival Tomas Berdych 7-6, 6-4, 6-3, dominating the veteran after an initial stumble. While speaking post-match, Federer was sure to bring out his lighter side and enthralled fans with his sense of humour.

The World No.2, in a post-match interview, was questioned as to when he would start sporting sleeveless shirts like his arch-nemesis Rafael Nadal to which the 36-year old hilariously replied, "That's never going to happen because you know why. My arms are not like his arms!", sending the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena into peals of laughter.

"I love seeing him with that outfit, it remembers me of when we met the first time, I'd also love to see him with the capri pants again," he added with a huge grin on his face.

In case you didn't know

The Swiss master, who has 19 Grand Slams to his credit has enjoyed a purple patch in the ongoing 2018 Australian Open and has not dropped a single set in his path to the semi-finals, stamping his authority in the competition.

The heart of the matter

Right after Federer's win against Berdych, TV presenter Jim Courier interviewed Federer and joked around about him sporting a sleeveless shirt like his rival Nadal.

When asked about Rafael Nadal's unfortunate pull-out due to injury, Federer replied, "I hope Rafa gets well soon, I'm so happy to hear the news that the injury isn't serious" and added "The last thing I did before going to bed last night was texting Rafa", shedding light on his strong friendship with the Spaniard.

When questioned as to his thoughts on facing Chung in the semi-finals, Federer admitted that he did not gather a lot of information about the new kid on the block but was excited about the prospect of facing him in the semifinals and was excited to see new faces in the big stage of the tournament.

What's next?

Federer will take on Korean Hyeon Chung in the semi-finals of the tournament in a bid to qualify for the finals and improve his chances of lifting his sixth Australian Open title.

Author's take

For a man of such high calibre and talent such as Roger Federer, it is heartwarming to see his respect for the game and fellow players, especially a fierce rival in Rafael Nadal, who has robbed him of many titles in the recent past.