Sinner, Pegula Advance to French Open Fourth Round Amid Mixed Fortunes on Paris Clay

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner delivered a dominant performance at the French Open on Saturday, cruising past Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka in straight sets to reach the fourth round, while third seed Jessica Pegula overcame a stern challenge from 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova to keep her title hopes alive.

Playing under overcast skies at Court Suzanne Lenglen, Sinner wasted no time asserting his authority. The Italian stormed through the first 11 games of the match, leaving a stunned Lehecka trailing 6-0, 5-0 before the Czech finally got on the scoreboard to loud cheers from the crowd. But the reprieve was short-lived as Sinner maintained his momentum, sealing a one-sided 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win in just over 90 minutes.

With the victory, Sinner sets up a fourth-round encounter against Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who advanced after Frenchman Arthur Fils withdrew due to injury.

In the women’s draw, Pegula had a tougher path. On Court Philippe Chatrier, she dropped the first set to Vondrousova, who has been working her way back from a shoulder injury that hampered her title defense at Wimbledon last year. However, the American rallied, showcasing her grit and consistency to claim a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback win. Pegula will next face the winner of the all-French showdown between Elsa Jacquemot and Lois Boisson.

Another rising star, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, continued her impressive run with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. The Russian sixth seed credited a colorful drawing left by a young fan as her good-luck charm. “Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her—it’s my lucky charm,” Andreeva said after the match. She is now the youngest woman since Martina Hingis to reach 10 singles wins at Roland Garros.

In other action, Daria Kasatkina, now representing Australia, ended Paula Badosa’s campaign with a 6-1, 7-5 win. Kasatkina’s composure in the closing stages proved key as she prepares to face Andreeva in what promises to be a high-stakes clash.

Meanwhile, three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic is set to close out Saturday’s play under the lights, aiming for his 99th match win at the French Open as he takes on qualifier Filip Misolic. A victory would put Djokovic level with his win tally at the Australian Open, where he holds a record 10 titles.