Watson was on the other side of the net in the Wimbledon third-round match of seven summers ago. The Briton had the explicit backing of the home crowd.
When she rallied to level set scores and had game points for a 4-0 advantage in the decider, it got uglier than usual. An opera of visceral sensations, the nag and snag of which perhaps channelled Serena Williams' fightback.
But it was Watson who broke at love to take a 5-4 lead. Earlier, during a changeover, the mighty American stood to deliver a message to the crowd. "Don't try me," she mouthed, wagging her index finger.
In the stands, Oracene Price threw up her arms in frustration. Her daughter, the world No. 1, who had won the first two Grand Slams of 2015, was slipping.
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