Martin Kaymer fired a brilliant 65 to move into a share of the lead ahead of the final round of the 72° OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIANI.
The German was one of the favourites coming into the week as he looks for a first win since claiming his second Major Championship victory at the US Open at Pinehurst last year but he will face a big challenge from joint-leaders Jens Fahrbring and Romain Wattel and the chasing pack.
Fahrbring dropped a shot on the last to sign for a 68 and slip back alongside Kaymer and Wattel, who recorded a 66 on Saturday.
"I started off well," said Kaymer. "But those last three holes I think I left a couple out there especially on 16 and 17, they were good putts they just didn't go in. Sixteen was a very, very poor chip but that's okay, seven under par is a very good round."
He added: “I am looking forward to tomorrow – it will be a challenge to myself and a challenge to beat my opponents. I am up there with a chance to win on Sunday and that’s all you want at the end of the day.
“It’s important that you don’t look too far ahead and start to think about what could happen. You also don’t want to rush into an aggressive mode too soon. It might be the case that some of the guys who are out before me make a really fast start so it is a fine line to figure out what the best plan is. You have to also enjoy the day and I think I have enough experience of being in this position to enjoy it.
“It will be interesting to see what happens over the first nine holes and to see how I feel mentally. Once you get on the back nine you have to be a bit more spontaneous and adjust to the situation around you.”
Kaymer started the day three shots behind Fahrbring and Lucas Bjerregaard but he soon reduced that gap to one as he got up and down from sand on the first to make a birdie and then picked up another shot on the second to quickly move to 12 under.
A third consecutive gain followed on the third and with the overnight leaders both parring the first, Kaymer was in a three-way tie for the lead.
His run continued on the fourth with another birdie moving him out on front on his own but a bogey on the next dropped him back into a share of top spot.
Fahbring had dropped a shot on the third but a run of three birdies from the fifth made him the first player to reach 15 under before he gave a shot back on the eighth, where Kaymer had made a gain, and when the World Number 22 birdied the 11th, the lead was his again.
He was 17 under after the next as he nailed a seven iron out of the first cut to within inches but Fahrbring kept applying the pressure and a birdie on the 14th once again reduced the gap to one shot.
Kaymer failed to take advantage of the gettable 16th but Fahrbring had no such problem and got himself level again with a birdie and followed it with another on the 17th to get to 18 under before a wayward tee shot and bunker trouble saw him bogey the last.
Three players were then in a group at 15 under with Alstom Open de France champion Bernd Wiesberger well placed going into Sunday after a flawless 67.
Bjerregaard was also at 15 under after birdies on the 16th and 18th salvaged a 70 for the big-hitting Dane while Fabrizio Zanotti carded a 68 only blemished by a bogey on the last, his first in 72 holes on the European Tour.
Jaco Van Zyl, David Lipsky and Rikard Karlberg were then all on 14 under with 15 players within five shots of the lead, including Danny Willett who is currently second in the Race to Dubai.
Francesco Molinari leads the Italian charge on 11 under and he is sat alongside Spanish amateur Scott Fernandez who has recorded rounds of 69-67-69.
Y E Yang is back at eight under but he lit up the course on the 12th hole as he sunk a 143 yard nine iron to record the 42nd hole in one on The European Tour this season.
