Alexander Levy fired a brilliant 63 to set the clubhouse target on day one of the Volvo China Open but he had Pablo Larrazábal hot on his heels at Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Levy won this title in 2014 when the event was held in Shenzhen - where he finished in a tie for eighth last week - and he was bogey-free as he moved to nine under on Thursday morning.
Larrazábal has also found some good form in China, playing the entire weekend at Genzon Golf Club without dropping a shot, and he was bogey-free again to sit a shot behind Levy.
Swede Peter Hanson and England's James Morrison were then at five under, a shot clear of Jorge Campillo, Yi Cao and Jaco Van Zyl.
Larrazábal jumped out into the early lead making birdies on the tenth, 11th, 13th and 15th to turn in 32, while Levy - who also started on the back nine - had gains on the 13th, 15th and 17th.
The Frenchman then found a groove on the front nine, holing from eight feet on the second, 30 on the third and then putting his approach to three feet on the next to open up a two-shot lead.
Larrazábal was also in the mood, however, and he holed a 45-foot right-to-lefter on the third to cut the gap to one and set the tone for the rest of the morning as the pair went birdie for birdie.
Levy made it four in a row from close range on the fifth but Larrazábal hit straight back on the same hole.
The Spaniard was in a tie for the lead after a birdie on the seventh but Levy hit back on the eighth before a closing gain saw the 26 year old come home in 30 and set the target.
Larrazábal hit back again on the eighth but could not finish with a birdie of his own and signed for an excellent 64.
Hanson was another player who started on the back nine and he had an eventful round, book-ending three birdies with dropped shots on the tenth and 18th to turn in 35. He made further gains on the third and fifth before dropping a shot on the next, but a birdie-birdie-birdie finish saw him sign for a 67.
Morrison was bogey-free in his round, turning in 32 and picking up a fifth birdie of the day on the sixth.
South Africa's Van Zyl had a single bogey in his 66, while home favourite Yi had two bogeys, including one on the penultimate hole that dropped him to four under.
Spaniard Campillo began and ended his round with bogeys but made six birdies inbetween to also sit five off the lead.
Defending champion Li Haotong was then at three under alongside last week's winner Bernd Wiesberger, South Korean pair Soomin Lee and YE Yang, English trio Jordan Smith, Graeme Storm and Sam Walker, Americans David Lipsky and Paul Peterson, South African Darren Fichardt and Germany's Maximilian Kieffer.
Englishman Anthony Wall - making his 500th European Tour start this week - recorded a one under par 71.
American Ryan Dillon fired a five over par 77 but was left celebrating the 14th hole-in-one of the season as he holed a seven iron from 180 yards on the 13th.
