Heather Watson: Serena Williams is only human, I’m not daunted

The last time Heather Watson found herself in the third round at Wimbledon, the pay cheques were infinitely smaller, her opponent noticeably less formidable.

Whatever the outcome of her match against Serena Williams tomorrow, the Briton will pocket £77,000, double the earnings of her passage into the last 32 in 2012 when she suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Agnieszka Radwanska.

Three years on and three years wiser, the 23-year-old finds herself back in the third round again, this time against the indomitable Williams, who has her sights set on the so-called ‘Serena Slam’ with all the majors to her name if victorious here. Having never been past the third round of a Grand Slam, Watson knows there is no expectation on her tomorrow but said she would use her previous Wimbledon experience not to be daunted by the occasion.

“I remember playing against Radwanska,” she said after an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Daniela Hantuchova. “I wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

“I remember overplaying totally and thinking she was going to be this amazing player that I’m going to have no chance against. I tried to hit winners on the first ball, that was no good. But those experiences really help.

“This time around, this isn’t my first, second or third Wimbledon. I’ve gotten a feel for playing the top players. At the end of the day everybody’s human. Everybody’s going to make mistakes.”

Tomorrow’s match is a first encounter between the two and one Watson admitted to be relishing when waxing lyrical about the world No1 and her 20 Grand Slam titles on the eve of her warm-up tournament at Eastbourne.

“I’ve never played Serena before so I’d love to play her,” admitted Watson. “She’s obviously a very tough opponent but in matches like that, you’ve got a lot to gain, so it’s a real positive.”

A self-confessed tennis geek, Watson pores over matches of the top players, including Williams, to find facets of the best games to add to her own. Williams has looked comfortable in her two matches, most recently in yesterday’s 6-4, 6-1 victory over Timea Babos.

She and Watson look certain to be paired on Centre Court, which Williams argued would be a positive for her rival. “It will be a huge advantage,” she said. “The home court will help her.”