Britain's Jessica Ennis was in pole position to retain her world indoor pentathlon title here on Friday, leading Russian arch-rival and world outdoor champion Tatyana Chernova by 184 points. With just the long jump and 800m to be held in the evening session, Ennis finished the morning on 3,064 points, with Lithuanian Austra Skujyte (3,054) and Ukraine's Olympic champion Natallia Dobrynska (3,035) leapfrogging Chernova in the shot put for second and third places.
Ennis opened the five-discipline event with a startling 7.91sec over the 60m hurdles - her second fastest ever time, to immediately open up an 86-point advantage over Chernova. She then nailed 1.87m in the high jump, her Russian rival bombing out at 1.84 to hand the Briton 38 more valuable points.
Chernova thought she might have pulled back with a season's best of 13.90m in the shot put, but Ennis took advantage of two red flags for the Russian with her own season's best of 14.79m to build up a convincing lead. Chernova had to be happy with fifth spot on 2,880 points after the opening three disciplines, leaving herself a real mountain to climb in the evening session.
German medal hope David Storl, the reigning world outdoor champion, topped qualification for the men's shot put final, also later Friday, with a season's best of 21.43m. The day's first surprise came when Canadian Dylan Armstrong, silver medallist in the world outdoors in Daegu last year, failed to make the eight-strong cut, managing only 19.84m and two no-throws for an early exit. Ethiopian Meseret Defar remained on track in her quest to become the first woman in history to land a fifth successive world indoor title.
She coasted home in her 3000m heat in 9min 11.76sec, compatriot Gelete Burka heading qualifying times with 9:01.32, with Kenyan duo Hellen Obiri and Sylvia Kibet also progressing to Sunday's final. Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo, in her first major international competition in nearly four years, made it through to Sunday's 800m final after finishing second in her heat to impressive Russian Yuliya Rusanova.