Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia achieved his best Grand Slam result in seven years during the French Open, in a surprising turn where he didn`t even realize he had won the decisive point.
On Wednesday afternoon at Roland Garros, the 33-year-old player faced local favorite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Dzumhur had previously reached a career high ranking of world No. 23 seven years ago and made it to the third round of the French Open in both 2015 and 2018. After struggling with results in recent seasons, Dzumhur seems to be experiencing a comeback this year.
The match on Court Suzanne Lenglen featured a stark contrast in size, pitting the 5ft 9in Dzumhur against the towering 6ft 8in Mpetshi Perricard – a true David vs. Goliath scenario.
In an intriguing battle of different playing styles, the underdog successfully overcame the challenge of playing against the home crowd favourite, winning with a score of 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Dzumhur managed to break Mpetshi Perricard`s powerful serve in the seventh game of the fourth set.
On the final match point, the 21-year-old Frenchman hit a forehand shot long, sealing the victory for his opponent.
However, instead of celebrating immediately, Dzumhur looked completely nonplussed.
The three-time ATP title winner then hit the ball back over to Mpetshi Perricard`s side of the court, as if he thought it was still his opponent`s turn to serve.
It was only then that Dzumhur realized he had actually won the match, prompting him to awkwardly jog to the net for the traditional handshake.
He then offered an apologetic wave to the spectators, seemingly cautious of inciting the infamous French crowd`s displeasure.
Finally, a smile spread across his face as the significance of his victory truly sank in.
Dzumhur`s win came despite taking a hard fall earlier in the match.
In his post-match interview on court, he confessed: “I felt stressed in the third set after I had a break up, really. And then in the fourth set, pretty much the same situation.”
“I actually didn’t know that I was serving for the match, so maybe it was better.”
Dzumhur`s next challenge in the third round will be facing the reigning champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
HEALTH SCARE
In 2022, Dzumhur faced a serious health issue following a Roland Garros qualifying match against Fernando Verdasco.
After experiencing severe stomach pain, Dzumhur was diagnosed and treated for pancreatitis. He later shared with Clay Magazine that he was “really close to dying”.
He elaborated on the experience: “Soon after the match I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. It was increasing more and more. And at some point I understood that something was wrong, because it wasn’t a normal pain, it was very strong and rare.”
“After a consultation with the doctor on site, I was feeling even worse and worse and they sent me to a hospital in Paris.”
He continued: “I was lucky that they sent me there fast. I had inflammation of pancreas, which was a very hard one.”
“The doctor that saw me told me that I was lucky to be young and in a good shape, because somebody older or weaker could’ve easily died with that kind of inflammation.”
