Scott Hend was reined in by Fabrizio Zanotti during the weather-affected third round of the Omega European Masters.
The Australian entered the day with a one-shot advantage and had extended that to three shots before two hours and 24 minutes were lost due to heavy fog at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
He briefly extended his cushion to four after the resumption but was caught by Zanotti - who turned in 32 - as he dropped two shots in persistent heavy rain.
The leading duo were at 12 under, two shots ahead of South African Darren Fichardt, with England's Matthew Fitzpatrick at nine under and Australia's Marcus Fraser in the clubhouse a further shot back.
Hend's ball looked to have sat down in the rough off the first tee but he muscled an excellent second to 12 feet for a birdie and when playing partner Fichardt dropped a shot for the first time this week with a three-putt, the lead was quickly up to three.
The 44 year old then parred the second, with Fichardt on the green with a par putt when the hooter sounded. He missed from 15 feet after the resumption and Hend led by four.
Zanotti had hit a smart approach to the second for a birdie to get to ten under before the stoppage and did not look fazed by the long break.
Hend made par after missing the green on the par three third but Fichardt could not repeat the trick and when Zanotti rolled in a long birdie putt on the fourth, he was alone in second at 11 under.
A clumsy bunker shot on the fourth then saw Hend drop a first shot of the day and the lead stayed at two when Zanotti did very well to get up and down from a greenside bunker on the sixth.
The 34 year old drove the green on the seventh to get down in two and cut the lead to one with Hend finding sand off the tee and settling for par while Fichardt made a birdie.
Fitzpatrick had started with bogeys on the first and third but he got back level with birdies on the sixth and seventh and when he put his approach on the ninth to six feet, he was just four off the lead.
That soon became three as Hend found sand off the tee on the eighth and Zanotti was in a share of top spot with a smart par save on the ninth.
Fraser recorded an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys in his 66, with Swede Alexander Björk, Scot David Drysdale and Thai Thongchai Jaidee all also at eight under.
