Washington - Defending champion Juan Del Potro got a free ride into the semi-finals of the Legg Mason Classic Friday as Swedish opponent Robin Soderling withdrew before their quarter-final with a right elbow injury.

Argentine Del Potro will now face off on Saturday with the winner from fourth-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and Germany's Tommy Haas.

French Open finalist Soderling stands 1-1 with Del Potro, looking for his first title since Auckland last season. Gonzalez leads last week's Los Angeles semi-finalist Haas 2
-1.

The 31-year-old German is playing the Washington quarters for the fourth time. He reached the 2008 semi-finals and played quarter-finals a decade apart in in 1997 and
2007.(dpa)