Grigor Dimitrov withstood Andrey Rublev’s comeback attempt and returned to the U.S. Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory Sunday in New York.

The No. 9 seed from Bulgaria started fast in the first meeting of top-10 seeds in this year’s tournament against a frustrated Rublev, who smashed his racket against his left hand in the first set, then required medical attention from a trainer.

Dimitrov won the final six points of the second-set tiebreaker before Russia’s Rublev, the No. 6 seed, charged back in the third and fourth sets.

Then, with Serena Williams watching from inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Dimitrov regained control to reach his eighth Grand Slam quarterfinal.

He beat Roger Federer in that round in 2019 to match his best result in a major by reaching the semifinals.

With 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams — a friend who he said talked to him to help him prepare on Saturday — giving him a thumbs-up from her seat after the match, Dimitrov said he loved the atmosphere inside Ashe.

“It brings back such good memories from 2019, so I thought, ‘Why not another five-setter?’ ” Dimitrov said.

He will face either No. 20 Frances Tiafoe or No. 28 Alexei Popyrin, who were scheduled to play Sunday night.

No. 12 Taylor Fritz also got to the final eight by beating No. 8 seed Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Brandon Nakashima was trying to make that an all-American quarterfinal matchup when he played No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev later

Paula Badosa became the first woman in the quarterfinals when the No. 26 seed from Spain beat Wang Yafan 6-1, 6-2. She will face either defending champion Coco Gauff or No. 13 seed Emma Navarro, who played later Sunday.

Sinner on track: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner has avoided the sort of monumental upset that knocked former champions Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the U.S. Open in recent days.

The 23-year-old Italian never gave his third-round opponent on Saturday night even a moment to hope for that sort of victory, beating Chris O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in under two hours.

Since dropping his opening set at Flushing Meadows, Sinner has won nine in a row, dropping a total of just 18 games.

USTA admits wrong call: The U.S. Tennis Association has acknowledged the wrong call was made during a third-round U.S. Open match between Anna Kalinskaya and Beatriz Haddad Maia because the chair umpire wasn’t given every relevant replay of the point by the video review official.

USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre said Sunday that the chair umpire did not see the best replay and the tournament referee’s office reminded the people operating the video review that they need to pass along all relevant replays.

Beatrice Haddad Maia was awarded a point she shouldn’t have been in the third game of her 6-3, 6-1 victory over Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday night.