'Absolutely boring' - Alexander Zverev on Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz after Australian Open request rejected

Alexander Zverev joked Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz would be an "absolutely boring match-up" after having his Australian Open request rejected.

The German tennis ace had hoped to secure a prime-time spot for his quarter-final clash against Tommy Paul but found no luck with the tournament organisers, being scheduled for an afternoon game instead. Post-victory, following his 6-7 (1-7), 6-7 (0-7), 6-2, 1-6 triumph over the American player, Zverev revealed: "I absolutely love playing night matches here. I understand Novak v Carlos is the highlight. I tried to request a night match but that was denied very quickly."

Up next on his path to Grand Slam glory, he faces a possible semi-final against either Djokovic or Alcaraz. With a cheeky grin, when prompted about tuning into their upcoming battle, he quipped: "Absolutely boring match-up, no reason [to the crowd] of staying here after just watching Zverev vs Paul."

The world No. 2 then praised his potential opponents, saying: "Two of the best players that probably touched a tennis racket. Novak is the greatest of all time right now. Carlos is going to be one of them when he hangs it up. So it's a clash of generations.

"They have played Grand Slam finals before, they have played Olympic finals. So it's going to be a privilege to witness it here in Australia so please guys enjoy it."