More Swede success in Moscow

Former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin and Mikael Lundberg continued Sweden's recent success in the Inteco Russian Open today by claiming the halfway lead in Moscow.

Both players carded second rounds of 64 to finish 13 under par, one shot ahead of England's Robert Rock, who also returned a 64.

Norway's Jan-Are Larsen is a shot further back on 11 under after a 65 but former Open champion John Daly missed the cut after rounds of 70 and 73.

Lundberg won his only tour title to date in the Russian capital in 2005, while fellow Swede Per-Ulrik Johansson triumphed 12 months ago.

"Maybe it's because we are only two hours away," explained Sandelin. "In fact, I was born in Finland and that's even closer, 10 kilometres from the Russian border. Maybe that's the inspiration."

Sandelin won the fifth of his European Tour titles in 2002, three years after representing Europe in the Ryder Cup at Brookline, but since then has struggled to reproduce that form and only held onto his tour card at the end of last season by £61 (77.40).

Starting his second round from the 10th, Sandelin picked up shots at the 11th and 12th and then rolled in a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th to reach the turn in 31.

For the second day in succession he bogeyed the first but bounced back with a birdie on the next after chipping within inches of the hole.

Sandelin also birdied the sixth and then hit the pin with his approach to the seventh. The ball unfortunately bounced 20 feet away but the 41-year-old holed for birdie and then hit his tee shot at the eighth to within inches of the hole to make it three in a row.

Rock had also started from the 10th and matched Sandelin's outward half of 31.

The 31-year-old Midlander then birdied the second and bogeyed the fourth before holing from 30ft for eagle on the par-five fifth and picking up another birdie on the eighth.

"This season has been a lot better for me and I really don't think that my positions on the Order of Merit or the Challenge Tour rankings really reflect that at the moment," said Rock, 132nd and 55th on those lists, respectively.

"My stroke average is a lot better than last year and I tend to go on stats like that. If I am getting better every year then that will do me.

"It's been a long process of building my swing to where I wanted it to be. It was good all of last year but very new to me, whereas now I have been having the same swing thoughts for the last year, which is great because I used to have four or five different ones every week."

England's Danny Willett, the former top-ranked amateur in the world, is four off the lead after a double-bogey six at the 18th in his round of 66.

Defending champion Johansson is six off the lead after adding a 68 to his opening 69 to lie seven under par.