WIMBLEDON, England - It used to be that players dreaded the prospect of facing Serena Williams, especially at Wimbledon.

Nowadays, they seem to be eager to go up against her - not because they think they can beat the American legend, but because, well, she's Serena Williams, and what better way to create a memory for life than to share a court with one of the greatest in the history of tennis.

That's why Giulia Gatto-Monticone, a 31-year-old qualifier from Italy making her debut at the All England Club, was thrilled when the draw put her up against Williams in the first round on Tuesday, and the schedule put them on Centre Court, to boot.

So what if Gatto-Monticone fell behind 5-0 in 17 minutes and wound up losing 6-2, 7-5?

"Incredibly happy to play her," Gatto-Monticone said afterward. "Serena is Serena."

The whole day was, she said, "a dream come true," filled with smiles and tears and goosebumps, starting with a morning tour of the stadium with her coach, her physiotherapist and her physiotherapist's son.

"We went through the club members' area. Just a spectacular place. Truly beautiful couches, flowers. We saw the trophies. We saw the entrance to the court," Gatto-Monticone said.

To the match itself, which was briefly even in the second set at 5-all, prompting an Italian reporter to ask whether Gatto-Monticone wondered whether maybe she had a chance: "No," came the quick reply. "I never thought that."

To the handshake after a highlight-worthy 12-stroke exchange that capped the result, including a trade of volleys at the net.

"She told me I'm an amazing player. I don't know if she really thought so, but she was so nice. I told her she's the queen of this tournament. I thanked her."

Gatto-Monticone asked the 37-year-old Williams if they could pose for a selfie together.

"She was sweet, because I was panicking and I couldn't find my phone," Gatto-Monticone recounted.

"She said, 'That's fine. Don't worry. I'll take it with mine and post it on Instagram.' I said, 'Perfect!'"

Consider, too, the attitude of the next woman standing in the way of Williams' bid for an eighth Wimbledon championship and 24th Grand Slam singles trophy overall (which is aside from her hardware in women's doubles and mixed doubles, an event she is entering this week with Andy Murray).That's another qualifier, 18-year-old Kaja Juvan of Slovenia, who was born a little more than a year after Williams won the 1999 US Open.

Juvan, like Gatto-Monticone, relishes the opportunity to meet Williams.

"I'm very glad I get the chance to still play with her, because she's done so much in her career," Juvan said.

The thing right now for Williams is that she hasn't been able to do much this season, in part because of an injured left knee that was a big reason Tuesday's match was only her 13th of 2019.

Associated Press