You could never accuse Serena Williams of not recognising an engrossing piece of theatre when she scents it. “Yikes, I never like playing the Brits at home!” exclaimed the five-time Ladies’ champion after setting up today’s Centre Court feature match, a third-round clash with Britain’s No.1, Heather Watson. “Once again, I have my work cut out for me.”

Serena made it sound as if taking on the home guard at Wimbledon was a tricky rite of summer. Actually, though, as she tackles her 85th Wimbledon singles match in her 16th campaign, the remarkable fact is that she has never faced a Briton here before. Neither at Wimbledon nor, indeed, in the Eastbourne warm-up.

So this is something deliciously new. Williams describes Watson as seeming to be “super sweet”, which is often the sort of thing she says before marmalising her opponents. Alarmingly, for Watson, Serena also reckons she is playing well “which I never say”.

Watson at least has a free shot here, armed by the sort of ‘nothing to lose’ mentality which fuelled Dustin Brown’s fairytale against Rafael Nadal last night.

If the world No.59 could somehow derail Williams as she rampages towards the third leg of her calendar Grand Slam bid, it could be the biggest upset perpetrated by any Briton on these lawns since Roger Taylor ousted the champion Rod Laver in the fourth round in 1970.

Watson, a self-confessed tennis “geek”, reckons she will savour every moment of playing one of the finest athletes in history (from any sport) but the chances look minimal of either her or the Russian-born Serb Aleksandra Krunic, who plays Venus Williams on No.2 Court, preventing a fourth-round tie between the sisters.

This should also be a day to make you appreciate the remarkable depth of quality in the men’s game with a series of matches which really deserve to grace The Championships deeper into the Fortnight than the last 32.