Colsaerts leapfrogs Levy in Shanghai

nicolascolsaerts

The Belgian, who finished second to Levy at the rain-affected Portugal Masters earlier this month, has renewed his rivalry with the Frenchman at Lake Malaren and headed into day two a stroke off the lead.

After starting his second round on hole 10, Colsaerts - without a win on the European Tour since the 2012 World Match Play Championship - was in sensational form as he posted nine birdies on his way to a round of 64, one better than Levy's leading score from Thursday.

A bogey on hole five proved to be the only blot on an otherwise unblemished copybook for Colsaerts, who now sits on 14-under for the tournament.

However, Levy remains in close pursuit after enjoying another strong day in Shanghai.

The world number 74 produced a faultless round on day one to hold the overnight advantage, and it was not until hole 12 on Friday that Levy suffered his first bogey of the week.

But Levy came up two short of Colsaerts in the birdie stakes, thus surrendering his lead at the midway point.

England's Justin Rose - bidding to climb to number two in the world with a strong showing at the Tour's Final Series - leapt 30 places up the leaderboard on Friday with a round of seven under par.

The performance keeps the 2013 US Open champion's hopes of making a push for the win alive, although he still sits seven strokes short of the lead after only managing a par round on Thursday.

Levy's compatriot Romain Wattel is third on 11 under par after showing consistency to follow up his opening round of 66 with a 67 on day two, while Marcel Siem, Branden Grace and Emiliano Grillo are a shot further back.

Ryder Cup stars Jamie Donaldson and Thomas Bjorn - fourth and fifth respectively in the Race to Dubai - are still in the hunt at eight- and nine-under for the week, while another of Paul McGinley's Gleneagles heroes, Victor Dubuisson, hit a 70 round for the second day in succession to leave him tied for 25th.

The BMW Masters is the first of four events in the Final Series.

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