Serena Williams vs. Heather Watson: Score and Reaction from 2015 Wimbledon

Serena Williams had to dig deep to beat local favourite Heather Watson in three sets, keeping her bid to win the 2015 Wimbledon Open alive. Watson gave the top seed all she could handle, but Williams eventually emerged victorious, winning 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

The crowd at Centre Court treated both players to a standing ovation, as Williams and Watson served up one of the best matches we'll see all year. Ultimately, Williams' experience and raw power made the difference, setting up a match with sister Venus Williams in the next round.

Before the start of the match, BBC Sport pulled out an old video of Watson talking about her ambitions, during which she named Williams as her hero.

Mats Wilander and Cara Robinson discussed the match, and both realised Watson's chances of winning were slim:

The 23-year-old had the support of the home crowd and seemingly the entire nation, as just about everyone weighed in on the match. Even Just Eat UK had to chime in:

At one point in the match, Williams reacted to the booing crowd, (via The Cauldron):

Williams is the favourite to win this year's tournament after a great run to start the season, and on the grass courts, her incredible power becomes an even bigger weapon than on the other surfaces. Watson knew she would be in for a challenge. In the first set, she couldn't find an answer for the veteran's massive advantage in the rallies.

The American steamed to an early lead, leaning on her serve and big winners with both her forehand and backhand. Watson didn't attempt a single dash for the net in the first set, as she was on the back foot throughout and spent most of her time running from side to side.

Williams' advantage while serving, as detailed by BBC Tennis, shone even brighter due to Watson's struggles in the return game:

The first set was over in the blink of an eye, as Williams cruised to a 6-2 win. Tennis journalist Chris Goldsmith came to a simple conclusion:

BBC Sport's Aimee Lewis, who noticed there was still a vocal group of Australian fans in the stadium after Bernard Tomic's loss against Novak Djokovic, gave her opinion on how to beat Williams:

Watson is a defensive specialist who is at her best when she can extend the rallies, but against the power of Williams, such a strategy simply doesn't work. Watson tried to be more aggressive early in the second set and managed to hold her serve for a few games, following the advice she gave herself before the match, per Sky Sports:

"

Do I believe I can beat her? Absolutely.

There's no point even going out there if you don't believe you can win, because then there is no way I could possibly win anyway.

I have to believe I can win from the first moment, from now. I'll have to be very aggressive and push myself out of my comfort zone against her.

"

In the fifth game of the second set, she even managed to break Williams' serve after the American committed a double-fault. Tennis coach Martyn Etheridge noticed the crowd started having more of an effect on the match:

"

#Serena letting the invariables play their part..getting louder as #Williams shouting KAMAN!! #Watson still having to make the pts! #Wimby

— Martyn Etheridge (@MartynEtheridge) July 3, 2015"

Her advantage lasted just one game, as Williams immediately broke back. But Watson started believing in her chances, taking even more risks and turning the momentum. She broke Williams' serve again in the ninth game and suddenly found herself serving for the set.

What followed was an epic game, with both having opportunities to win it, but ultimately, it was Watson who forced a third set, to the delight of the fans. SI Tennis noticed their reaction as well:

Live @ Wimbledon shared the moment:

Watson immediately broke Williams' serve in the third set, and the world No. 1 appeared to lose all control of the match. Williams was racking up unforced errors, looking utterly lost on the court. She again gave up her serve after a long game, and suddenly, Watson was on the verge of the biggest win of her career.

Journalist Mark Pougatch noticed that Williams' footwork looked all wrong, and she even hit two double-faults in a single game. But Williams wasn't ready to quit, breaking back in the fourth game to close the deficit to just two games. The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg thought she still had her work cut out for her:

Williams easily held serve and leveled things up a game later, as the nerves seemed to be getting to Watson. She didn't hold back, however, turning every single game into a mini-match. As the drama unfolded, it almost seemed as if the entire country was watching, including BBC's Tina Daheley and some members of the English women's football team:

Watson broke Williams' serve again in the ninth game of the third set and suddenly found herself serving for the match, but again, Williams broke right back. She followed that up by serving a perfect game, hitting two aces and two shots Watson couldn't even return, putting tremendous pressure on her once again. 

The final game was again filled with drama and ended in the least satisfying way possible, with TV replays confirming Williams' slice was in. The Wall Street Journal's Tom Perrotta summarised Williams' performance:

As shared by BBC Sport, Williams gave her opponent the highest praise possible, saying she should have won the match:

Williams remains on course to sweep the Grand Slams in 2015, but in order to do so, she'll have to find some consistency heading into the next round.

Sister Venus awaits in the next round in what should be another dramatic match.