Ewu Tennis Partners Help One Another

CHENEY, Wash. - The news from Bosnia and Croatia is painful for Sejla Serifovic and Tina Dlouhy, whose homelands have been torn by ethnic war.

But at least they have tennis. The two are top doubles partners on Eastern Washington University's tennis team.

The young roommates have drawn strength from one another in dealing with the violence in former Yugoslavia.

"So many times, I think I wouldn't make it if Sejla wasn't here," Dlouhy said. "When I'm down, she always tries to be up and get me happy again."

Sejla comes from a Muslim family, Tina from a Christian family, although Sejla said neither she nor Tina, nor their families, actively practice their religions.

The strife that has left tens of thousands dead in their homelands apparently hasn't hurt their tennis games, however.

As doubles partners, Dlouhy's net-skimming ground strokes provide most of the power, while Serifovic adds a touch of finesse.

In the classroom, both freshmen are honors students. Dlouhy is considering pre-medical studies, while Serifovic is aiming for a business degree.

Both women came to Washington high schools on exchange programs. Dlouhy placed fourth in the state Class AAA tennis championships for Tacoma's Lincoln High School last year, while Serifovic won the state A title for White Swan.

The two had never played each other in Europe, but they quickly meshed in Cheney.

Serifovic, 18, is from Tuzla, Bosnia; Dlouhy, 19, is from

Osijek, Croatia.

"They have to be really concerned about what's going on (in former Yugoslavia), but they don't let it interfere with their concentration," tennis coach Sunya Herold said.

Despite their success in this country, they must come to grips with the situation at home.

Bosnian Serbs, backed by Serb-dominated Yugoslavia, have seized 70 percent of Bosnia since majority Muslims and Croats voted for independence from Belgrade in February 1992. More than 134,000 people - some reports say 200,000 - are dead or missing. Two million more are homeless.

Serifovic's father is a chemical engineer, and her mother was forced to quit her job in a bank because of low pay.

"I just got a letter from my family and they said the crimes the Serbs are committing are just unbelievable," Serifovic said. "They rape girls age 7 to 77, anything they can find to just destroy the nation.

"My brother said my town is like a big zoo, with 30,000 homeless people just in the streets - no food, no clothes, no nothing, just there," she said. "It's so sad."

Dlouhy went home at Christmas break and was shocked.

"All the people were so different, their lives just totally destroyed," she said. "So many of them don't care about anything. My friends don't know how long their lives will be, so they do anything - drugs and drinking. There are no goals - just to stay alive."

"Most of the time we feel guilty," Dlouhy said. "It's really hard - especially after we talk to our parents."

"But I'm totally glad I'm out of there," Serifovic added. "Not just because of the war, but because of the way it is destroying peoples' minds. I'd be 18 with no life and no goals there."