LONDON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Andrey Rublev and advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, while women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant run with a straight-sets victory over Elise Mertens on Sunday.

Alcaraz dropped the first set against the 14th-seeded Rublev but showcased his trademark resilience, rallying to win 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The 22-year-old Spaniard converted crucial break points in the second and third sets before sealing the match with another break in the fourth.

"One point can change a match completely. You have to stay there all the time, be strong mentally," said Alcaraz, who remains on track for a third consecutive Wimbledon title.

He will next face Cameron Norrie, after the Briton outlasted Chile's Nicolas Jarry in a five-set marathon, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Fifth seed Taylor Fritz matched his best Wimbledon performance by reaching the quarterfinals after opponent Jordan Thompson retired due to injury while trailing 6-1, 3-0.

Fritz will now meet Karen Khachanov, who eased past Poland's Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

World No. 1 Sabalenka overcame a stubborn challenge from Mertens, winning 6-4, 7-6 (4) to book her place in the last eight.

The Belarusian, the only top-six seed remaining in the women's draw, will next face Laura Siegemund, after the 37-year-old German ended lucky loser Solana Sierra's fairytale run with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

American Amanda Anisimova bolstered her title credentials with a hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Linda Noskova.

The 13th seed will next take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Britain's Sonay Kartal earlier in the day. ■