GIVEN that Sir Alex Ferguson watched Andy Murray's Wimbledon semi-final on Friday it was perhaps appropriate that the 28-year-old should compare the task of taking on Roger Federer in that mood on the grass of Wimbledon to that of facing Barcelona in their pomp on a football pitch.
For all their dominance domestically, Ferguson's Manchester United twice came up short in Champions League finals against the Catalans, leaving Scotland's greatest football manager stuck on two wins in Europe's main club competition.
When it comes to Grand Slam victories, Murray could yet face a similar fate but he felt no need to enter full-on self-flagellation mode after his defeat to the Swiss. This was, after all, the greatest player in the history of the sport playing what was nearly a flawless match.
"I've managed to win against him a number of times before, it's just unfortunate that this time there wasn't much I could do," said Murray, who also compared Federer's instinctive serving action to the natural grace which Lionel Messi exhibits on the football field. "Roger was just unbelievable. If you want to compare him to Barcelona then you can, especially on this surface and with what he's done here because I really don't think the game will see anything like him again for a very, very long time."
Murray had little to reproach himself for on Friday night - maybe, he could have reconsidered his return position and made fewer unforced errors - but nonetheless defeats such as these are wounding, and tend to presage an extended period of introspection from the world No 3.
He has little time for that on this occasion, though, being expected to put on a brave face and immediately play a lead role in Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final against France which starts on Friday at Queen's Club. Perhaps being thrust into a team environment involving his brother Jamie and friends Leon Smith and James Ward is just what he needs.
"I prefer to lose having played well than having played badly because then I don't feel that I've let myself down," said Murray who will remain third in an unchanged top three when the latest rankings emerge tomorrow. "Sometimes when I come off the court and I haven't played well I feel terrible afterwards. You feel you've let down yourself, your team and everyone who supports you. But I tried my best and played well. Obviously and understandably, the next few days might be quite tough. I will have to speak to my team to see what's the best thing to do.
"But, yes, by next weekend I will be motivated and pumped. It's more the next few days where I know I need to prepare properly for the tie if I want to play well. The nicest thing about the Davis Cup is being in a team and around the guys. All of us get on very well together - we've had some unbelievable weeks - so hopefully this will be another one."
Britain may be tied with France as the most successful team in Davis Cup history, but the nation hasn't reached a World Group semi-final since a 5-0 defeat to Argentina on the clay of Buenos Aires in 1981. The team that day included Wimbledon officials Andrew Jarrett and Richard Lewis alongside Buster Mottram, only for them to encounter Guillermo Vilas at the peak of his powers.
Australia - minus Bernard Tomic due to a row with the Australian Tennis Federation - or Kazakhstan wait in September's next round but France, last year's beaten finalists, will be a tough nut to crack.
Captain Arnaud Clement has named a four-man team consisting of Murray's fellow beaten Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet, quarter- finalist Gilles Simon, Jo Wilfried Tsonga and doubles specialist Nicolas Mahut.
Although Ward will rise to around the 90 mark in the new rankings, as ever Murray will be required to win two matches against two in-form Frenchmen for the hosts to maximise their chances of victory.
The French squad are remaining London after Wimbledon and are well practised by now on grass. "We are staying to go to Queen's Club," Gasquet said. "It's an important competition for France and I want to be ready for next week."
While the claim of his partner John Peers was ignored by Australian Davis Cup captain Wally Masur, the other part of the equation if Great Britain are to be successful is Jamie Murray in the doubles. The 29-year-old ran the Bryan brothers close with partner Dominic Inglot in Glasgow in March.
"The Davis Cup will mean a quick turnaround," Jamie said. "But that is something to look forward to, a great time. I will maybe get a break after that but we will see how it goes."
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