Rory McIlroy lived up to his star billing in Dubai - but a hole-in-one from Martin Kaymer set up the prospect of another "Duel in the Sun" this weekend.
World Number Two McIlroy added a sublime 65 to his opening 66 to reach halfway in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on 13 under par.
But World Number Four Kaymer, playing in the following group, aced the 186 yard seventh and with a 67 was only two behind.
The pair have gone head-to-head in the Middle East before. They were first and second in Abu Dhabi last year, with Kaymer winning by a staggering eight shot margin.
McIlroy, though, has the memory of landing his first professional title on the Emirates Course in 2009 and he also led the tournament for the first three rounds last year.
The 22 year old US Open Champion turned in a four under 33, but for the second day running missed an eagle chance of under ten feet at the long 18th and then failed from five feet on the first.
Kaymer, out in 34, drew level with a birdie on the second after pitching to five feet, but then fell three behind. He three-putted the short fourth while McIlroy birdied the long third and difficult sixth.
Then came the German's hole-in-one, but even though McIlroy probably guessed what had happened from the cheers behind he calmly rolled in a curling 18 footer at the eighth to double his advantage.
Overnight leader Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who opened with a nine under 63, was among the later starters and by the time he got going again he had been overtaken not only by the two Ryder Cup stars, but also by Scot Stephen Gallacher and South African George Coetzee.
Gallacher, who aced the 15th on the first day, was round in 65 and Coetzee was seven under for his round with two to play.
American John Daly had an eventful time. A six on the long tenth and quadruple bogey eight at the 12th put the former Open Champion in severe danger of missing the cut, but he fought his way back to one under with one to play, although he was still not certain to make it through.
McIlroy said: "I just kept picking up birdies along the way and it puts me in a great position.
"I feel a lot more confident than I did in Abu Dhabi."
He lost by one to Robert Rock there two weeks ago after incurring a two shot penalty for brushing sand away from his line off the green.
For Kaymer it was a first-ever hole-in-one, but the prize of a watch goes to his physio under a bet they have every week.
"It will be a good celebration tonight," he said.
Cabrera-Bello needed a 67 to grab the lead back off McIlroy and he began well. Birdies on the second and third took him alongside Kaymer.
Lee Westwood, meanwhile, picked up shots on the third and seventh to be on five under, but Coetzee's closing bogey left Gallacher alone in fourth on ten under.
Cabrera-Bello came back from his first bogey of the week on the seventh with a birdie at the next - and he was not the only one making good progress.
When 2001 winner Thomas Björn chipped in on the short 11th it was his fourth birdie of the day and he joined Gallacher on ten under, as did German Marcel Siem and France's Gregory Bourdy.
McIlroy's lead was trimmed to one when Björn almost pitched in at the 17th for his sixth birdie.
Kaymer, Cabrera-Bello, Bourdy and Scotland's Scott Jamieson were all two behind and Westwood's birdies at the 13th and 16th - he almost holed out for eagle there - lifted him to eight under and joint tenth.
