PARIS — The odds were stacked against Damir Dzumhur becoming a professional tennis player when he was born in 1992 amid the siege of Sarajevo in a smashed city cut off from the world.
His early tennis experiences were at the shell-ravaged Zetra Olympic Hall which was used as a temporary morgue during the war.
On Friday, the 23-year-old Bosnian will face his boyhood idol Roger Federer, probably on Court Phillipe Chatrier, in the French Open third round.
"Probably the biggest player ever in tennis, and I'm really glad I have the chance to play with him," world number 88 Dzumhur told reporters after beating Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis on Wednesday.