Three-time winner Ernie Els climbed within two strokes of the lead with an eagle on the 13th hole before play was cut short by darkness. A rare Dubai thunderstorm had delayed play for more than two hours.

"I've got to keep my foot on the pedal," said Els, who is to finish his final four holes Saturday morning. "There's so many guys involved. I've just got to keep up the pace."

Woods, who had a 68 on Thursday, struggled with his putting for the second straight day and stood at 9 under halfway through the tournament at Emirates Golf Club.

"It was kind of weird," he said. "I just didn't feel like I made many putts today. I was all around the hole and most of them were actually misreads."

Fisher, who missed the cut last month in Abu Dhabi, shot a second consecutive 65 and was at 14 under.

"I'm hitting the ball probably as good as I've ever hit it," said Fisher, who had eight birdies and a bogey. "It would be tough to have a third 65, but you know it's out there if you play well."

The Desert Classic is just the second tournament in which Fisher has been the leader -- the first was the 2005 China Open.

The 26-year-old Fisher said the closest contact he's had with Woods was when he worked on a driving range when he was 18 at the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in England. Fisher said he was picking up golf balls for Woods.

"I've never met him or spoke to him," he said.

Now Fisher faces the possibility of playing alongside Woods this weekend.

"It would be an absolute thrill to play with the best player in the world," Fisher said. "Obviously all the pressure is going to be on him because he's expected to win. No one's going to be thinking, 'I think Ross can take this guy on.' I'll try not to watch him too closely because at the end of the day, I'm going to try and beat the guy."

By day's end, Els was at 12 under, with Graeme McDowell, Peter Hanson and Henrik Stenson next at 10 under. Thirty-six players are to complete the second round Saturday morning.

Els made the green on the par-5, 13th hole in 2 and then holed a 12-foot putt for an eagle.

"I found something in my swing this afternoon. It just felt better," said Els, who won the Desert Classic in 1994, 1997 and 2005. Els was runner-up last year to Woods.

Woods had five birdies and no bogeys, despite teeing off into the trees on his first hole. On the 13th, Woods fell to his knees and bludgeoned the ground with his club in frustration after a chip for an eagle dribbled a few inches from the hole. He settled for a birdie.

Playing the back nine first, Woods dueled all day with partner Miguel Angel Jimenez. The Spaniard was at 11 under for a few holes before he bogeyed the 15th and ninth and finished with a 68. He was tied with Woods at 9 under.

"I've got to go practice first of all and get organized and be ready for tomorrow," Woods said. "It's just a matter of going out there and making a bunch of birdies. The golf course is pretty benign."

He enjoyed bantering with the ponytailed Jimenez.