Last on Centre Court was the much-awaited showdown between Serena Williams and home favorite Heather Watson. Serena has seen the crowd go against her even in her home slam in New York, but this was a much sterner test with a whole crowd and nation rooting against her. Both women started off with some comfortable holds as Watson would be the first to find herself in a hole down 15-40 in the fourth game. The Brit saved a first with a cross-court backhand winner. However, Serena responded with a forehand winner to take the break and consolidated for a 4-1 lead.

After holding at love for 4-2, Watson knew she needed to do more to get into Serena’s service games. She needed to try to attack the second serve of the American which was still more powerful and pacy than what Watson has ever seen. She saw a few in the seventh game, but Serena was once again dominant for the hold.

The nerves especially hit the Brit as she served to stay in the set. A combination of some phenomenal hitting from Serena and some wild errors from the Britain’s number one handed the world number one a routine first set at 6-2.

Both women came out swinging in the second set as they held comfortably for the first four games of the set. All of a sudden, the winner of the last three Grand Slams found herself in a 0-30 after a delicate drop shot by Watson. At 0-30, Serena capped off the rally with a forehand winner and her famous “Come on!” An ace followed, but Watson found herself with a break point opportunity. Of course, the world number one saved the break chance with an unreturned first serve, but she overcooked a forehand to give the Brit another break opportunity. Surprisingly, Serena double faulted break point down as Watson went up 3-2 much to the delight of the British crowd.

The Brit came out a bit flat in her service game as she was looking to make it a 4-2 lead. A few errors forced by Serena, and she would hit a couple fantastic backhands at 30-40 to get the break back. In the seventh game, Watson was once again in the American’s service game, but the world number one powered her way through to hold for 4-3. At 4-all, Watson came out attacking on all of Serena’s serves and that paid dividends in the end as she would break to serve for the set.

The frustration was really getting to Serena as she dropped the opening point on Watson’s serve and even showed it as she smacked a ferocious forehand winner. As Britain’s top female was two points away from the set, she became extremely tight as a backhand winner and a double fault gave Serena break back point. Watson had plans of her own though smacking a beautiful backhand down the line to get it to deuce. Each time the world number one was down in the game, she came up with the goods to extend the set, but she netted a backhand as Watson took the set as the All England Club and the rest of Great Britain roared for Watson as she took the second set 6-4.


The five-time Wimbledon champion came out flat to start the opener of the final set as Watson went up 0-30, but the serve saved her once again. Despite that, a backhand into the net at 30-all gave Watson a break point which she converted on a Serena error. The world number one battled on the Brit’s service game but a cheeky drop shot from Watson forced Serena’s backhand into the net, and another unforced error from the American consolidated the break for Watson.

From what looked to be a comfortable hold for Serena, Watson battled back and put pressure on Serena to hold to keep in touch. A double fault break point down, and all of a sudden, Watson was in business up 3-0 with a chance for a 4-0 lead.

This was a chance for Watson to stamp her authority for good on the set, a chance to stake her claim as Britain’s next tennis sweetheart. She saved a few break points and was deploying the drop shot well to try and get Serena to dump backhands into the net like she was doing throughout the match. A fourth break point was saved, but she over hit a second serve as this game was becoming a mental struggle for Serena. At one point or another, you’d think Watson would succumb to the pressure but continued to play the important points better than the veteran American. Despite that, Serena got one break of serve back from a couple Watson errors as the pressure moved back onto the American to hold.

An easy hold for the American in the fifth game moved the match once again on Watson’s racket for a hold. A few unforced errors from the American gave the Brit three game points, but the American found her range and saved all three of them as it looked like the world number one found her mojo again. Serena capped off the sixth game winning five straight points to level the decider.

Watson’s forehand winner in the seventh game gave her a slight opening at 15-30, but Serena fended them off before Watson’s break chance. Just like the sixth game, this one was slugfest but a much shorter one. The American battled from adversity in the game and held for the 4-3 lead. Britain’s number one without much chagrin and told the crowd to get up so they could get back into this match.

A double fault and a missed backhand volley highlighted Serena getting broken at love in the ninth game, and all of Britain were on their feet as their darling was about to serve for the biggest win of her career. The rowdy crowd was making calls during every point of this extremely tense game and a phenomenal volley gave Serena two break points. Watson’s mishit dropped in on the second break point, but the American had another chance on a forehand winner. Talk about timing for Watson picking up one of her few aces up the tee to save a third break point. Despite the effort, the world number one took the break back for 5-all.

The French Open champion came out firing right after the break with a few aces for a love hold as the pressure moved squarely on Watson’s racket now to stay alive in the match. The Brit needed a quick service game like her opponent, but hit a wayward backhand to put Serena two points away from the match. Match point down, Watson found her serve as Serena netted the return. The drop shot was working for the Brit all day, however, the lob failed to get over Serena’s overhead gave her another match point. Another netted return brought it back to deuce, but the American would win a long rally for a third match point. Serena’s backhand fell inside the baseline as Watson’s return went well long, and the chance for the Serena Slam was still alive with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

For Heather Watson, she can look back on this match with plenty of smiles as she went out with nothing to lose and nearly caused the biggest upset of the tournament just narrowly missing out on beating her childhood idol. If Serena thought this match was emotionally taxing, how about facing your older sister Venus for a spot in the quarterfinals. They’ll meet on Manic Monday in a family affair which is likely going to broadcasted on Centre Court. It was another escape for Serena Williams at a Grand Slam, and like it always does, it goes down as another instant classic.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.