A hole-in-one from Grégory Bourdy cut Bernd Wiesberger's lead to one shot as the third round of the weather-delayed Shenzhen International got under way at Genzon Golf Club.
Half of the field had to complete their second rounds on Saturday after storms on days one and two but nobody could reduce the Austrian's four-shot overnight advantage.
Frenchman Bourdy quickly went about doing that in round three, however, with a birdie on the second and ace on the third taking him to 11 under after four holes and within one of the lead.
English duo Ross Fisher and James Morrison, South African Dylan Frittelli and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen were then at nine under.
Olesen was the first to break out of the pack at eight under from the final group with an opening birdie from five feet.
Fisher had made five birdies upon the resumption as he signed for a second-round 65 and a 15-footer on the second had him alongside Olesen, with playing partner Bourdy reaching the same mark after smartly getting up and down for birdie.
Morrison then holed a 20-footer on the third and there was a group of four players three shots off the lead.
The gap was soon down to one in spectacular fashion as Bourdy's tee-shot on the third took two bounces and rolled into the middle of the cup for the second hole-in-one of the day - and 13th of the season - after Finn Mikko Korhonen had earlier made one on the 16th.
A poor third shot from Wiesberger on the second left him with a testing putt to keep hold of the lead and he made it to keep his nose in front.
Frittelli then made a birdie on the second to join that group at nine under.
The Scots made a bright start with Duncan Stewart - who picked up two shots in the morning - beginning birdie-birdie and Richie Ramsay making a gain on the first to get to eight under alongside South African Dean Burmester and American Bubba Watson.
