Teske recovers to join leaders

Rachel Teske bounced back from injury to shoot a third round six-under-par 66 to join American Beth Daniel and Sweden's Maria Hjorth in a three-way tie for the lead in the Evian Masters here.

The Australian pulled out of last week's Rochester International due to a rib injury, but she had an eight-birdie round to finish alongside Daniel, who had a 70, and Hjorth with a 71, on 11-under-par 205. "I came with no expectations but I've been solid all week and the pain's gone," Teske said.

Catriona Matthew was the leading Briton and still favoured the possibility of an outside chance at five behind, on six-under 210 following a bogey-free round of 68. "If I can get off to a good start tomorrow then there might be a hope," said the Scot, who has already won the Hawaiian Open this year.

Hjorth, the overnight leader, admitted her 71 was "a bit of a struggle", but added, "You usually have one bad round out of four and, hopefully, that is it out of the way." The overnight leader certainly had a rocky start. She hit her approach shot into a tree and had to take a penalty drop to run up a double-bogey six at the first, hit back with a birdie at the second, but then dropped another shot at the third where her second shot flew over the green.

There was a strange incident at the 18th. Having hit her tee shot on to the adjacent first fairway, an official picked up the ball and disappeared into the clubhouse. "Luckily, some spectators and the television had seen it happen so I got a free drop," she said.

The defending champion Annika Sorenstam could manage only a level-par 72 and finished on the same mark as Matthew, five off the lead.

EVIAN MASTERS (Evian-Les-Bains) Leading third-round scores (US unless stated): 205 R Teske (Aus) 71 68 66; B Daniel 67 68 70; M Hjorth (Swe) 69 65 71. 208 J Gallagher-Smith 69 69 70; S Gustafson (Swe) 69 66 73. 209 D Delasin 69 70 70. 210 M Redman 73 70 67; J Inkster 73 70 67; C Matthew (GB) 71 71 68; M Baena (Col) 73 69 68; P Hurst 69 70 71; A Sorenstam (Swe) 69 69 72; A Fukushima (Japan) 72 66 72. 211 K Webb (Aus) 71 73 67; G Park (S Kor) 73 69 69; K Tschetter 74 68 69; S Pettersen (Nor) 70 69 72; Kim Mi Hyun (S Kor) 71 67 73; Pak Se Ri (S Kor) 69 68 74. 212 M Mallon 70 75 67; M Monnet (Fr) 73 69 74; L Kane (Can) 71 70 71; Yu Ping Lin (Tai) 68 72 72; L Diaz 73 67 72. 213 K Weiss 71 71 71; L Lindley72 69 72; W Ward 68 72 73. . Selected: 216 L Davies (GB).