India, July 6 -- Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa could not replicate his rapid form, managing just 3.5 points from the opening nine rounds of the blitz section, while France's Alireza Firouzja produced a brilliant display to emerge as the sole leader after the penultimate day of the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour.

Alireza was simply brilliant in the faster version as he knocked down as many as eight points out of a possible nine and took a massive three-point lead on 20 points over nearest rivals Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France.

Praggnaandhaa slipped behind to a distanced fourth on 15.5 points, while world champion D Gukesh had another average day to reach on 14 points for his fifth spot.

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