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Versailles - Defending champion Martin Kaymer took over at the top of the leaderboard in the French Open after firing a level-par 71 in the third round here on Saturday.
The German began badly in the wet and blustery conditions at Le Golf National, bogeying the first hole.
He corrected that immediately with a birdie at the short par-three second before dropping a shot again at the fifth.
A second birdie on the ninth brought him level for the day and he proceeded to par every hole on the back nine for a 54-hole total of 204 - nine under par.
The overnight leader Alejandro Canizares of Spain was well in control until he double-bogeyed the par-three 16th.
The 27-year-old then messed up his approach to the 18th green for another double-bogey, which leaves him one shot off the pace alongside Englishman Steve Webster, who followed Friday's 66 with a one-under-par 70.
First day leader Robert Jan Derkson of the Netherlands dropped a shot in his round of 72 to slip two behind Kaymer.
He is part of a six-way tie, which includes Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Englishman Luke Donald, on 206.
The start of play was delayed by a massive thunder storm but that did not put off another Englishman, Kenneth Ferrie, who produced eight birdies and two bogeys in his 65, the round of the day.
Selected third round scores:
204 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 66-67-71
205 - Steve Webster (ENG) 69-66-70, Alejandro Canizares (ESP) 66-66-73
206 - Robert Jan Derksen (NED) 63-71-72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 71-69-66, Damien McGrane (IRL) 68-71-67, Luke Donald (ENG) 70-69-67, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 69-69-68, Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 67-69-70
207 - Peter Hanson (SWE) 68-69-70, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 68-69-70
208 - Graeme Storm (ENG) 70-67-71, Danny Willett (ENG) 72-67-69, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 68-71-69, Richard Bland (ENG) 73-68-67, Kenneth Ferrie (ENG) 73-70-65
209 - Mark Foster (ENG) 76-63-70, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 68-70-71, Rhys Davies (WAL) 71-71-67, Adam Scott (AUS) 69-69-71
210 - Oliver Wilson (ENG) 68-71-71, Ian Poulter (ENG) 72-67-71, Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-69-71, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 72-66-72, Richard Finch (ENG) 71-72-67
