Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson shot a brilliant 10-under-par 62 to race into a clear lead at the Russian Open before torrential rain for the second successive day brought an early finish.

The former Ryder Cup player took advantage of an early start to fire himself to the top of the leaderboard on 13 under, six ahead of first-round leader Christian Nilsson and Ireland's Gary Murphy.

However, Johansson's compatriot Nilsson managed to play only six holes of his second round in level par, while Murphy was two under through five before the rains came.

Peter Lawrie was also hampered by the rain. The Dubliner was three-under-par through four holes.  David Higgins's first round 81 left him wtih too much to do but he restored some respectability with a 72 today to leave him nine over, well below the cut of one over.

Half of the 116-strong field will attempt to resume their second rounds at 7.30am local time tomorrow.

Johansson's round at Le Meridien Moscow County Club equalled his lowest on tour - his previous 62 coming in the 1991 Heineken Dutch Open - and while that was recognised as a course record, his latest effort was not due to the preferred lies in operation.

"That's okay, they can have the preferred lies. I've still got my 62 on the board," said the 40-year-old, who had six birdies on his front nine and four coming home.  "It was certainly the best putting I have done in a long, long time.

"I have been putting well enough and I actually missed a couple from short range in the early part of my round but I did make a lot of long ones.

"I didn't hit it all that great from the tee but when I missed it, I had a decent lie in the rough and I could get it on the green so the way that I was putting I pretty much had a chance for birdie on every hole.

"In fact I actually started laughing on the short eighth hole (his 17th hole of the day).

"I blocked my tee shot right about 40 feet from the hole and first of all Christopher (Hanell, his playing partner) holed his from 45 feet for a birdie two and then I holed mine from 40 feet. We all just started laughing when they both dropped in."

Scotland's Richie Ramsay, making his professional debut after leaving the amateur ranks last week, was level par for his three holes of the second round keeping him two under.