SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina
It is 1992 and snipers are firing from all sides as bombs fall across Sarajevo. “You're a lucky mother. Even one bullet did not hit you,” says the Red Cross driver speeding expectant mother Zaneta Dzumhur to hospital.
Some 16 days later Zaneta gave birth to Damir Dzumhur on 20 May in the Kosevo district – at that time under constant bombardment from surrounding Serb forces.
Twenty-three years later, Damir Dzumhur has made it through to the third round of the French Open tennis tournament, making history on behalf of himself and his country.
It is in Paris that Dzumhur – ranked 88th in the Association of Tennis Professionals ratings – will today face the daunting figure of Switzerland’s Roger Federer, winner of 17 Grand Slam titles.
Win, lose or draw – Dzumhur is the pride of his country, becoming the first player to represent Bosnia at such a high level in world tennis.
His love for the game was fostered by his father, keen amateur player Nerfid Dzumhur.
Dzumhur senior opened a tennis school in 1994 while the devastating Bosnian War was still raging. There Damir had his first encounter with the game, collecting tennis balls. Later on he began his first serious tennis training at the age of five.
‘A very lucky mother’
Zaneta Dzumhur believes that her son is lucky, despite being born under gunfire.
"We were living in the Grbavica district where Serb soldiers surrounded and took control,” she tells Anadolu Agency.
“On 4 May 1992 we had to leave our house. I was brought directly to the hospital. Snipers were firing from all sides, bombs were falling on the city.
“I still remember what the driver of the Red Cross vehicle carrying me to the hospital told me: ‘You're a lucky mother. Even one bullet did not hit you.’
“Perhaps all these events were the beginning of Damir's luck. The first days of his life were very distressing.
“Because of the ongoing war we had to take all the newborn babies to a shelter during the bombardment. From the window of the hospital I watched the burning buildings and the mothers who were leaving the hospital with their newborn babies.
“Damir was one of the last babies born before the hospital was discharged completely," says Zaneta.
Despite Dzumhur facing the worst possible start in life, the Bosnian’s incredible luck and work ethic now sees him pitting himself against the best in his profession.
Regardless of Friday’s result, Dzumhur can say he has come a long way from the recovering city which he calls home.
