China’s world number five Feng Shanshan, the highest ranked player in the field, lived up to her billing as the pre-tournament favourite as she opened up a four-shot lead on top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Dubai Ladies Masters on Thursday.

At the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, Shanshan added a bogey-free five-under par 67 to her first-round effort of 66 to reach 11-under-par 133 after two rounds of the season-ending championship of the Ladies European Tour.

England’s 18-year-old Charley Hull, the reigning Order of Merit leader, remained second despite a double bogeyed at the last hole for a two-under-par 70 that left her seven-under 137.

But Hull will have her work cut out over the next two days as France’s Gwladys Nocera, who trails her by 22,716 euros, moved to within one shot with a round of 69.

Nocera was tied third at six-under alongside Sweden’s world number 12 Anna Nordqvist (69) and Finland’s Noora Tamminen (66).

Nocera is the only player who can overtake Hull and she will have to finish inside the top-four to have a mathematical chance of doing that.

Best of the Australians was Sarah Kemp (68), in a tie for sixth place, six strokes behind the leader.

Shanshan, winner of one major title (the 2012 LPGA Championship) and three other tournaments on the LPGA Tour, started on the 10th tee, and made three birdies on her way out and added two more coming in.

“I think yesterday I played really well, and today I didn’t make as many birdies as I did yesterday. But it was a bogey-free round with five birdies, so I think I did really well,” said Shanshan.

Hull started with a bogey on the difficult opening hole of the Emirates Golf Club, but steadied the ship with five birdies thereafter before dunking her third shot in the water guarding the front of the 18th green and made a double bogey.

“I actually hit a pretty good shot into 18. The wind really gusted when I hit that shot,” said Hull.

“I was four-under until then but still finished two-under which isn’t too bad.