Dzumhur Battles Through Injury to Defeat 31st Seed in Four Sets

PARIS, France — Damir Dzumhur fought through injury to defeat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday, winning 7-6(4), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

The match turned dramatic in the fourth set when Dzumhur appeared to suffer a serious fall after tripping while moving to the center of the court. He collapsed in pain, clutching his left knee, and received immediate treatment from tournament medical staff while Mpetshi Perricard looked on.

“Regarding the knee, I asked the physio if I just hit [it], if it was just a bruise,” Dzumhur said in a post-match interview. “They said that nothing is wrong with the knee, it’s just a hit, so I continued to play.”

After returning to his feet, Dzumhur managed to hold serve and regained momentum. The former World No. 23 expressed his relief and determination, stating, “I felt stressed in the third set after I had a break up… pretty much the same situation in the fourth set.”

He added, “I actually didn’t know that I was serving for the match, so maybe it was better.” Dzumhur will next face second seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

This matchup will be their first meeting in an ATP event, though they previously met in the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Barcelona in October 2020, where a young Alcaraz emerged victorious.