Chile's Fernando Gonzalez booked a spot in the Washington Classic semifinals with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over German Tommy Haas on Friday. The fourth seed advances to play holder Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who progressed to the last four when Sweden's Robin Soderling withdrew with an elbow injury. Gonzalez needed an hour and 23 minutes to subdue the 10th-seeded Haas, who was bidding to reach his fourth successive semifinal. Gonzalez, 29, scored the only service break of the opening set in the 11th game before serving it out. The Chilean then broke the 31-year-old German twice to take a 5-2 second-set lead before securing the win, his third in four career meetings with Haas. On Thursday, three-time champion Andy Roddick won the 500th match of his professional career with a hard fought 7-6, 6-4 third round victory over fellow American Sam Querrey at the Washington Classic on Thursday. Roddick is the 36th player overall and fourth active to achieve the milestone, along with Roger Federer (657), Carlos Moya (573) and Lleyton Hewitt (511), with the win putting him in the quarterfinals of an event he last won in 2007. Hewitt, meanwhile, failed to add to his tally, dropping a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 decision to second seed and defending champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Tenth seed Tommy Haas defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, while Robin Soderling, the fifth-seed, managed to edge Marc Gicquel 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Gonzalez had an easier time, stopping American Wayne Odesnik 6-2, 6-4, while number 11 Ivo Karlovic defeated qualifier Somdev Devvarman 7-5, 6-1 to set up a clash against Roddick. Roddick struggled with his serve at times. He did manage three aces but also committed six double faults and dropped his serve twice. Zheng stuns Safina China's Zheng Jie capitalized on a final set meltdown by world number one Dinara Safina to reach the quarterfinals of the LA Championships with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory over the Russian on Thursday. The 14th seeded Zheng stood strong against a barrage of huge blows from her opponent over the course of the two hour, 10 minute contest to emerge with a first win in five attempts against the defending champion. Safina had appeared on course for victory when she forged a 4-2 lead in the third set but imploded completely, handing back the break with a double fault before losing the final eight points of the match to crash out of the tournament. “It's tough to play her but I didn't do the right things,” Safina told reporters. “I should have played better. She took her chances and beat me.” Zheng advanced to a last eight encounter against in-form Australian Samantha Stosur, who continued her fine season with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over sixth seed Ana Ivanovic. The 13th seed was delighted to overcome the Serbian former world number one, gaining some revenge for losing to Ivanovic in their last meeting at Wimbledon in June. It was also Stosur's sixth win over a top 15 opponent this year. Russia's Maria Sharapova continued her rehabilitation from a lengthy injury layoff when she rallied from a set down to defeat Alona Bondarenko 4-6, 6-0, 6-3. The three-time Grand Slam champion benefited from a more aggressive approach against the Ukrainian compared to the last time they met in May, a straight sets victory for Bondarenko in Sharapova's first tournament back from shoulder surgery. Sharapova will face Polish teenager Urszula Radwanska, who advanced when 12th seed Li Na of China withdrew due to a right ankle injury. Second seed Vera Zvonareva also advanced with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 win over Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium and the Russian moves on to meet 10th seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who upended Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-3. Number eight seed Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula's older sister, eased past Russia's Anna Chakvetadze 6-3, 6-2, and will play Sorana Cirstea of Romania, who was 6-3, 1-0 ahead of Sabine Lisicki when the German retired with a right shoulder injury.
