Sinner Dominates Lehecka, Pegula Battles Through on Gloomy French Open Day

PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Top-ranked Jannik Sinner overwhelmed Jiri Lehecka at the French Open, advancing to the fourth round, while third seed Jessica Pegula fought hard to secure a victory against 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday. As overcast skies hovered over Roland Garros following a day of soaring temperatures, the relentless Sinner took control of his match at Court Suzanne Lenglen, winning the first 11 games without a single point given to Lehecka. Lehecka finally received loud applause when he managed to get on the scoreboard, but Sinner maintained his dominance, cruising to a 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory that set up a meeting with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after Frenchman Arthur Fils withdrew due to injury. Vondrousova, who has dealt with injuries herself, including a shoulder issue after her first-round exit during last year's Wimbledon, seemed to be regaining her form on the clay in Paris. She took the opening set against Pegula on Court Philippe Chatrier, but the American proved her mettle when it counted, clinching a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win and will next face the victor of the all-French matchup between Elsa Jacquemot and Lois Boisson. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, just 18, showcased her skills by overpowering Kazakh player Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 at Court Suzanne Lenglen, attributing her smooth win to a colorful drawing left for her by a young fan. "Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it's my lucky charm," remarked Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to achieve 10 singles match wins at Roland Garros since Swiss star Martina Hingis. Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa, seeking a bit of luck to force a third set against the impressive Daria Kasatkina, unfortunately succumbed to a 6-1 7-5 defeat to the 17th seed, who now competes for Australia. Kasatkina noted, "I was ready for a tough match. I knew if she got a chance, she'd seize it immediately. That's what happened in the second set when things got tight. I'm really proud of how I managed the situation." Three-time champion Novak Djokovic is set to face qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session, aiming for his 99th match victory at Roland Garros, which would match his tally at the Australian Open, where he has secured 10 titles. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris, Editing by Christian Radnedge)