US Open Champion Angel Cabrera holds a 1-up lead over defending champion Paul Casey after 18 holes of their second round contest at the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club.
The 30 year old Englishman was three down inside five holes after Argentinian Cabrera's blistering start to the match. Cabrera fired two birdies and an eagle in the first five holes after bogeying the first hole, but a nip-tuck contest followed after Casey responded with a birdie blitz of his own to recover.
The duo both ended up shooting five under par rounds of 67, but Cabrera's birdies on holes 16 and 17 proved decisive as he pegged Casey back and then maintained his one hole advantage when both players splashed out of the 18th hole greenside bunker for tap-in birdies. The match will resume at 12.50pm.
Meanwhile, American Hunter Mahan, who beat England's Justin Rose 5&4 yesterday, continued where he left off and is 3-up on Denmark's Soren Hansen. The match will resume at 1.02pm.
Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who earlier defeated American Woody Austin with a birdie on the 18th hole after the duo returned to the West Course to resume their match at 8am this morning, following the suspension of play for bad-light yesterday evening,is 4-up on Denmark's Anders Hansen. The match will resume at 1.14pm.
Six-times World Match Play Champion Ernie Els, who defeated Colin Montgomerie 6&5 yesterday, is 4-up on Andres Romero.
The Argentinian was another player who had to complete his match this morning, and his birdie on the 16th hole ensured a 3&2 win over Sweden's Niclas Fasth.
Els and Romero will resume rivalries at 1.26pm.
