Laura Davies

European number one Laura Davies moved into contention at the Austrian Ladies Open but even the former World No 1 could not contend with Italy's Federica Piovano, whose incredible 62 lowered the course record by all of four shots.

Davies ended the day joint second with a 68 on nine-under following Thursday's 1st round of 67, but that was three shots behind Piovano, who had started play at two under.

The 23-year-old from Rome recorded 10 birdies - including four in succession from the 7th - in a faultless round at Golf Club Fohrenwald in Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna.

"Everything was easy today. I just hit shots and that's how golf is supposed to be played," said Piovano.

"I planned my game for this course and it just went to plan, almost every shot was perfect."

Davies was in buoyant mood after recovering from two bogeys on the second and fifth.

"I played really well today. I had a rough start, I had a bad tee shot on two and then got into trouble on five but then I settled down and had some good chances," she said after carding six birdies in her round.

"I'll have to be on my best form over the weekend, though.

"I mean look at the scores.

"I'm up there with a chance and that's all you can look for. Just got to have another solid round tomorrow. Another 67, 68 and I'll be in with a chance for Sunday."

Davies is tied with France's Gwladys Nocera and Italy's Sophie Sandolo, who had set the course record with a 66 just 24 hours prior to Piovano's effort.

England's Georgina Simpson, co-leader after round one, slipped back to five under and a share of 12th after a one-over round of 73.

ALL THE 2ND ROUND SCORES

-12 (132) Federica Piovano (Ita) 70 62

-9 (135) Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 65, Laura Davies (Eng) 67 68, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 66 69

-8 (136) Marta Prieto (Spa) 68 68

-7 (137) Anja Monke (Ger) 73 64, Virginie Lagoutte (Fra) 67 70

-6 (138) HannaSofia Svenningsson (Swe) 73 65, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 72 66, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 71 67, Marine MonnetMelocco (Fra) 66 72

-5 (139) Denise Simon (Ger) 69 70, Nicole StilligGogele (GerR) 69 70, Virginie Auffret (Fra) 70 69, Georgina Simpson (Eng) 66 73, Lynnette Brooky (Nzl) 68 71

-4 (140) Ana Larraneta (Spa) 70 70, Nienke Nijenhuis (Ned) 71 69, Karen Lunn (Aus) 72 68, Kris Lindstrom (USA) 70 70, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 70 70, Alison Munt (Aus) 68 72, Amanda MoltkeLeth (Den) 72 68

-3 (141) Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 72 69, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 69 72, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 70 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 73 68

-2 (142) Stefanie Endstrasser (Am) (Aut) 72 70, Martina Eberl (Ger) 74 68, Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 70 72

-1 (143) Katie Bakken (USA) 73 70, Rebecca Coakley (Irl) 73 70, Kirsty S Taylor (Eng) 72 71, Sophie Hunter (Eng) 74 69, Sarah Heath (Eng) 74 69, Elisa Serramia (Spa) 69 74, Jane Leary (Aus) 74 69

E (144) Ellen Smets (Bel) 75 69, Rebecca Stevenson (Aus) 71 73, Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal) 69 75, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 72 72, Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe) 73 71, Julie Forbes (Sco) 73 71, Ana B Sanchez (Spa) 73 71, Laura Cabanillas (Spa) 68 76, Karen Margrethe Juul (Den) 73 71

+1 (145) Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 73 72, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 73 72, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 75 70, AnneMarie Knight (Aus) 74 71, Linda Wessberg (Swe) 72 73, Kirsty Taylor (Eng) 74 71, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 76 69

+2 (146) Maria Beautell (Spa) 76 70, Corinne Dibnah (Aus) 74 72, Valerie Van Ryckeghem (Bel) 73 73, Clare Queen (Am) (Sco) 73 73, Asa Gottmo (Swe) 73 73

+3 (147) Liza Walters (Eng) 74 73, Nina Karlsson (Swe) 76 71, Cherie Byrnes (Aus) 77 70, Vibeke Stensrud (Nor) 75 72, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 74 73, Barbara Paruscio (Ita) 73 74, Stefanie Michl (Am) (Aut) 74 73, Trish Johnson (Eng) 75 72, Marina Arruti (Spa) 74 73, Diana Luna (Ita) 74 73, Lora Fairclough (Eng) 74 73, Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin) 74 73

Missed the cut:

+4 (148) Pia Koivuranta (Fin) 70 78, Sara Beautell (Spa) 77 71, Natascha Fink (Aut) 74 74, Josefine Skold (Swe) 76 72, Karin Borjeskog (Swe) 74 74, Monica Cosenza (Ita) 75 73, Rikke Rasmussen (Den) 73 75, Stefania Croce (Ita) 73 75, Helena Alterby (Swe) 75 73, Katharina Werdinig (Am) (Aut) 74 74

+5 (149) Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 76 73, Dale Reid (Sco) 72 77, Helena Svensson (Swe) 72 77, Nicole Gergely (Am) (Aut) 76 73, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 76 73, Nicola Moult (Eng) 74 75

+6 (150) Anna Highgate (Wal) 74 76, Patricia Sota (Spa) 78 72, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 75 75

+7 (151) Maria Blomqvist (Swe) 76 75, Maria Boden (Swe) 78 73, Carina Vagner (Den) 74 77, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 73 78, Natalie Claire Booth (Eng) 77 74, Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 77 74, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 77 74, Johanna Waldh (Swe) 73 78, Jehanne Jail (Fra) 76 75

+8 (152) Jill Magnusson (Swe) 76 76, Emelie Svenningsson (Swe) 76 76, Carlie Butler (Aus) 77 75, Tullia Calzavara (Ita) 79 73, Mianne Bagger (Den) 76 76, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 74 78, Lisa Jean (Aus) 74 78, Olof Maria Jonsdottir (Ice) 77 75, Wendy Dicks (Eng) 77 75, Carmen Alonso Fuentes (Spa) 78 74

+9 (153) Sofia Renell (Swe) 76 77, Nathalie David (Fra) 77 76, Alexandra Armas (Spa) 77 76, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 75 78, Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den) 74 79

+10 (154) Fany Schaeffer (Fra) 78 76, Suzanne Dickens (Eng) 76 78

+11 (155) Elizabeth McKinnon (Nzl) 81 74, Caterina Quintarelli (Ita) 78 77

+12 (156) Tina Schneeberger (Aut) 77 79, Christina Kuld (Den) 77 79, Sandra Carlborg (Swe) 76 80, Kate Phillips (Wal) 82 74

+13 (157) Kerry Knowles (Eng) 77 80, Nuria Clau (Spa) 76 81

+16 (160) Jessica Lindbergh (Swe) 77 83, Patricia Beliard (Fra) 82 78

+17 (161) Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 77 84