Jiminez jumps into tie for fifth place after rain break

MIGUEL Angel Jimenez made hay once the rain stopped at the Alstom French Open in Paris yesterday, starting the delayed third round with a hat-trick of birdies.

Thunderstorms had meant that no play was possible all morning at Le Golf National - and this after nearly two and a half hours were lost on Friday afternoon.

But once surface water had been cleared out of bunkers and the downpour had moved away, Jimenez burst from two under par to five under and from joint 27th into a tie for sixth spot.

The 46-year-old Spaniard, who beat Lee Westwood in a play-off for the Dubai Desert Classic in February, was still five behind compatriot Alejandro Canizares, however.

Westwood and Rory McIlroy were quick off the mark too, both opening with birdie threes to climb to four under and joint 10th.

Canizares, the son of former Ryder Cup hero Jose Maria, led by one at halfway from defending champion Martin Kaymer, with Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen one further back.

Providing there were no more hold-ups, the tournament was due to get back on schedule last night, play having gone on until nearly 10pm the previous day.

With a first prize of nearly 409,000, Jimenez was eyeing a possible move from 17th in the Ryder Cup table all the way to fifth.

Lee Westwood kept his French Open hopes alive, but was limping badly at the end of his second round 69 at Le Golf National. On three under par Westwood was six behind leader Robert-Jan Derksen, who still had four holes to play, but he had come back well from bogeying the 17th for the second day running and then hitting his tee shot into the water on the short second.

However, the leg injury which made him doubtful before the start - he even went to hospital to check whether he had a blood clot - was taking its toll.

"It just gets sore as the day goes on," said the world number three, whose main focus, of course, is The Open in two weeks. "I just need to ice it I guess. It doesn't hurt when I swing - except just a little bit on the way through - but does not feel very nice up short, sharp hills and there are a lot of them."

Not so at St Andrews, though, and Westwood is hoping it will play no part in his latest bid for a first major. "I've had a sore Achilles for seven months," he added.

Ian Poulter, whose place in the event was also in question after his leg swelled up following an insect bite on Monday, improved five shots on his opening 72 to be three under at halfway as well.

"It was pretty sore last night, but definitely a lot better today and the groin has gone down as well," he commented.

Derksen, who led by three after his opening 63, parred the first nine holes and then birdied the next two to stretch his advantage. But he then bogeyed the 13th and on nine under was three in front of Indian Jyoti Randhawa.

England's Mark Foster, meanwhile, matched Derksen's first round, but had started the day on five over and so was still only joint 18th and alongside Westwood and Poulter.