Serena Williams Shows Heart of a Champion to Set Up Match with Sister Venus

Serena Williams, the warrior princess, marches on.

On a stage as grand as the All England Club's Centre Court, complete with its royal box, Williams reminded the world why she's so often crowned. With the weight of history, destiny and a winning streak on her shoulders, Williams survived British No. 1 Heather Watson in an epic three-setter, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, in the third round of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. 

She next faces her sister, Venus Williams. It will be the 13th meeting between the two at a Grand Slam, their first since 2009. Serena leads the overall head-to-head series, 14-11. 

Getting to this anticipated fourth-round matchup seemed like a foregone conclusion after Serena took the first set. That changed when Watson found her range. Frustrating Serena with stellar defense and keeping her off balance with heady offense, Watson pushed the 20-time Slam champion to the brink of defeat. 

"That was probably was the toughest match I've played [on Centre Court]," Serena told Sports Illustrated's Courtney Nguyen. "She should have won the match. She really gave her all."

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Backed by a boisterous British crowd, Watson served for the match at 5-4. She was one game away from the biggest win of her career. Neither Serena nor Watson were born the last time a British woman beat the No. 1 player. It was in 1979 when Sue Barker upset Chris Evert. 

However, Serena awakened her warrior spirit and fought back. Even with the crowd roaring after her every unforced error and applauding her double-faults, Williams summoned her inner strength to break Watson to stay in the match. 

Meanwhile, Venus was busy putting away Aleksandra Krunic, 6-3, 6-2. Venus won 85 percent of the points when she landed a first serve. She'll need that type of percentage to top her little sister, one of the best returners in the game. 

Venus last defeated Serena at the 2014 Rogers Cup in Montreal. Her 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 win over Serena was the first over the younger sibling in five years. 

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Oracene Price, mother of Venus and Serena, shuttled between Centre Court and Court No. 2 to support her daughters. She'll be able to stay put Monday when the sisters face off. 

The matchup puts the Williams family in an awkward position of having to watch one sister triumph while the other walks off the court in defeat. Serena, the sister with the most on the line, gets the most attention.

However, Venus is trying to re-establish her relevance at Grand Slams. A win at Wimbledon would be her eighth Slam and sixth at the All England Club. It would also be her first Grand Slam win since 2008.

With both ladies playing in the final years of their storied careers, all victories and setbacks take on deeper meaning. You could see that on Serena's face as she searched for answers to Watson's unyielding aggression.  

Down 4-5 in the third set and trying to stay in the match, Williams admonished the booing crowd for yelling during points. She waved her finger and cautioned them, "Don't try me."

How "divalicious" was that? Serena, the American, reminding those with royalty on their currency that she was the queen of Centre Court. 

Watson never won a game after that.  

The young Brit had been a point away from going up 4-0 in the third set. But in typical Serena fashion, she forged a comeback, rolling off four consecutive games to go up 4-3. Still, Watson steadied herself and managed to win the next two games to serve for the match.

With her back against the wall and the fans cheering her mistakes, Serena wielded her racket like a warrior's sword. She beat back Watson and the crowd.

Watson told reporters that although she lost, she enjoyed the atmosphere. "I was two points away, so I'm pretty disappointed. But the atmosphere on that court was amazing. It really helped me and pushed me. I wish I could have closed it out at the end."

Serena's quest for a calendar-year Slam and a 21st Slam title stays alive. Standing in the way is sister Venus. Their last name has been engraved on the Venus Rosewater Dish 10 times.

Williams: the first family of tennis, Wimbledon royalty.