From The Touchlines

Manchester United failed to defend their Champions League title when they lost to Barcelona in Rome.

Four days later, my favourite tennis player and defending champion, Rafael Nadal, was bundled out in the French Open by Swede Robin Soderling. In four sets.

Numbers aside, the developments last week seem to show one thing: you can’t have it all.

Well, United were aiming to win a historic quadruple, while Nadal had won 31 consecutive Roland Garros matches on his favourite clay surface.

But, more often than not, things don’t always go your way but perhaps, it is justifiable.

For starters, Barcelona won on a night when United’s defence were found napping – on both occasions – safely put that the best team took the title that night.

Sir Alex Ferguson, unlike a certain man with the initials RB, took defeat gracefully, acknowledging that indeed, the better team won that night.

As for the Nadal-Soderling match-up, perhaps to Nadal’s chagrin, Soderling was able to match each of his shots – with much gusto.

More often than not, Nadal was found on the defensive on numerous occasions – and Soderling took full advantage of the situation.

Both have been on bad blood, but on court, Soderling appeared to have found the answer to Nadal’s whipping forehands and backhands, the 23rd seed coming out with his own killer shots.

For both cases, there could have been complacency, but that spells good news and this means there is a time to reflect and subsequently, a time to improve.

For United, there is the off-season to look forward to but as for Nadal, the number of tournaments and slams coming up will be his chance to show the world that he is not yet losing it.

That he is, indeed, the rightful world no. 1.

They may be down, but they are certainly not out.