Robert Karlsson was struggling in his bid to record his third successive European Tour victory in the Oceanico Portuguese Masters at the Victoria Club in Vilamoura today. The Swede, who has recently won the German Masters and the Dunhill Links Championship, suffered two early blows.

With the third round suspended because of a storm last night, Karlsson, one of three joint overnight leaders at 14-under-par, was overtaken by Alvaro Quiros when play resumed shortly before 8am.

Then as he started his fourth round, Karlsson saw the Spaniard open a two-shot lead with a 50-foot birdie putt on the first green, to which he responded with a bogey at the second after missing the green from the middle of the fairway.

Karlsson showed why he is currently top of the European money list with three birdies in a row from the third to regain a share of the lead but when he then dropped another shot after failing to find the putting surface at the short par-three eighth, Quiros took full advantage.

He holed a three-foot putt for the third birdie of his round to walk to the ninth tee at 17-under-par and two shots ahead of his nearest rivals Karlsson, England's Ross Fisher and France's Gregory Bourdy.