Raphael Jacquelin
Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin shot a second consecutive two-under-par 69 to edge one stroke ahead of Anthony Wall after the Briton "hit a brick wall" on his way to a 72 in the Sicilian Open third round on Saturday.
Jacquelin, who sits on nine-under 204, last won at the Asian Open in 2007 but said ending his winless streak was the last thing on his mind ahead of Sunday's final round.
"If I win, I win, if not then it doesn't really matter," the world number 116 said.
"Obviously I want to win and came here to win but we are all here to win and there are a lot of guys playing each week and there can only be one winner," the 36-year-old added.
Sitting three shots back (207) are two more Britons, Phillip Price (67) and Jamie Elson (69). Their compatriot Wall was left rueing a poor final 11 holes in which he carded three bogies.
"I played well actually but then kind of hit a brick wall around the turn. I felt that I should have probably been two or three shots better off at that point and I just lost a bit of momentum.
"I should have dealt with it better because I have a lot of experience but I didn't do too well with that mentally."
Briton Simon Dyson (67) leads a group of nine on 208 while among a host of players on 209 is eight-times European number one Colin Montgomerie, who hit a 71 despite suffering with influenza.
"Considering I spent 21 hours in bed before going out there today, I played okay. I have to say that I feel rotten and am going back to bed right now," the 2010 Ryder Cup-winning captain said.
ROUND TWO RECAP
Anthony Wall climbed to the top of the leaderboard through two rounds of the Sicilian Open following a bogey-free round of 67 on Friday.
Wall, whose only European Tour win came 11 years ago, sits at 9-under, two shots better than Australian Richard Green and France's Raphael Jacquelin.
"This is a tough golf course and I have played really well again today," said Wall, who had two birdies and an eagle. "I haven't really had a tough par putt for the last two days and that tells you how well I have been playing. If I can stay strong mentally then I should have a good chance to win here."
The Englishman attributed his improved putting to a small investment he made recently.
"I bought a Dave Stockton iPhone app about reading greens and that is the best 59 pence ($0.99 US) I have ever spent because his tips have really simplified a few things for me," said Wall, who also credited a lesson he had with Tony Johnstone last week.
"It was a bargain, I have to say - you don't get many valuable lessons for 59 pence these days! The thing about Dave Stockton is that he is and always was an amazing putter and you tend to listen to those guys a bit more."
Green, the highest ranked player in the field this week at No. 64, put up six birdies on his way to a 67, however, a double bogey at No. 10 denied him a share of the lead.
Jacquelin had gone 32 consecutive holes without dropping a shot until a double bogey at No. 6. However, he closed with two birdies in his last three holes to remain in contention.
Overnight co-leader Stephen Dodd slipped four back after a round of 72 while Spain's Jose Manuel Lara, who also held a share of the lead after Thursday's opening round, fell further back after carding a 4-over 75.
Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie kept his hopes alive for a top-10 result, shooting a bogey-free round of 69 to sit five shots back despite a bout of the flu which almost forced him out of the tournament.
"I haven't dropped a shot since the first two holes of round one, things are looking up," said the Scot, who hasn't had a top-10 finish since 2008.
"I'm never ill, never ill. Never missed a game because I've been ill. I've missed a tournament because I had a bad back but never through illness and I'm not going to start now.
"I've never missed a day's work through illness - typical Scot."
Among the notables who missed the cut was Indian player SSP Chowrasia, a winner last month on the European Tour, and European Senior Tour regular Constantino Rocca, who was making his first European Tour start since last year's BMW Italian Open.
ROUND ONE RECAP
Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and Welshman Stephen Dodd were tied for the lead on six-under-par after the first round of the Sicilian Open in Ragusa on Thursday.
Lara suffered an early setback to his round after claiming a double bogey on the par-four fourth but recovered to finish with nine birdies, including five in the back nine.
Veteran Dodd mixed six birdies with two bogeys before an eagle on the par-five 16th gave him the early clubhouse lead at the Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa course.
"I did a lot of good things out there today," Dodd told the European Tour website (www.europeantour.com). "I kept in play most of the time, hit some good iron shots and I putted well which is always a key for any good round."
Raphael Jacquelin of Spain and England's Anthony Wall were one shot back after rounds of 66 with Wall's compatriots Chris Wood and Steve Webster and Australian pair Daniel Gaunt and Matthew Zions further back on four-under.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, chasing his first top-10 finish for three years, carded a two-under 69.