LONDON -- 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 (Monday, July 7, 2025, PH time).
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 on Centre Court and extending his winning streak on grass to 18 matches and his overall unbeaten run to 22.
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.
Alcaraz already boasts five Grand Slam titles, with his most recent coming at the French Open in June. He hasn’t lost a match since April 20.
While he hasn’t been “close-to-perfect” in this tournament — having dropped five sets so far, including two against Jannik Sinner in the French Open final and the opening set against Rublev — his ability to consistently rebound and win is what truly matters.
“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.
Norrie, the last British player remaining in singles, had a chance to close out the game earlier but missed a match point in the third-set tiebreaker.
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 overcame a technical glitch with the electronic line calling system to defeat Britain’s Sonay Kartal 7-6 (3), 6-4 earlier in the day. / XINHUA