Various sports results: Gauff qualifies in Beijing, Marquez wins the sprint race in Japan, and Verstappen starts first in Malaysia

The fourth seed in the world, American Coco Gauff, defeated Camila Osorio 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-2 thanks to great determination, overcoming a fluctuation in her serve to advance to the second round of the China Open 1000-point women’s tennis tournament on Saturday in Beijing.

The Colombian, ranked 66th in the world, showed strong resistance after losing the tough tiebreak in the first set due to two double faults, even though she needed medication to overcome a problem in her back.

Osorio saved two balls to decide the match, but Gauff was desperate and saved points in long exchanges, thanks to a perfect backhand and saving cross balls.

The 22-year-old said after the match, which lasted two hours and 18 minutes: “It was difficult, it was not the cleanest (level in the match).”

“I'm just happy with the way I was able to refocus,” she added.

In the next round, Gauff will face the winner of the match between Spain's Cristina Buxa and Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, ranked 582 in the world.

Later Saturday, world number one Kazakh Elena Rybakina is scheduled to play against Armenian world number 118 Alina Charaeva in the evening.

In the men's tournament (500 points), German top seed Alexander Zverev will play against Chinese tennis hopeful Shang Junqing in order to reach the quarter-finals against Serbian Novak Djokovic.

Ducati rider Marc Marquez won the sprint race at the Japanese Grand Prix in the World Motorcycle Championship on Saturday, reducing the five-point gap separating him from the leader of the standings, Jorge Martin, Aprilia rider.

Marquez started strongly and maintained the inside lane at the first turn on the opening lap to pass Martin, who set a lap record on the Motegi circuit, to take pole position in qualifying that was held earlier on Saturday.

Marquez, the defending champion, maintained the lead and went on to win, raising his score to 306 points, seven points behind Martin (313 points) before the main race held on Sunday.

Seven-time world champion Marquez said: “The goal in qualifying was to start on the front row. Starting from first or second place was the perfect place to have a great speed race.”

He added: “We made minor adjustments for the speed race, and I felt much better on the bike.”

Martin finished the race second on the track, but fell to third place behind Diogo Moreira of the LCR Honda team.

The Spaniard faced difficulty at the end of the sprint after he was subjected to pressure from Enea Bastianini from the Tech 3 team, and this exciting struggle led to both competitors leaving the track.

“I tried to do everything I could on the last lap to keep Enya behind me,” Martin said. "And I succeeded in that."

He added: “I don’t know exactly where I touched (the outside), because I was so focused on avoiding that. So, it was a huge mistake.”

Brazilian Moreira (22 years old) climbed onto the podium for the first time in a speed race. This was also the first time that his LCR team climbed onto the podium in speed races since 2023.

“Today was the desired day,” Moreira said. We watched the accident and I said I would try to push and see what happens, and in the end I felt more comfortable on the bike lap after lap.”

KTM rider Pedro Acosta, who recently achieved his first victory in the World Motorcycle Championship, started from the front row, but soon found himself in the gravel after being involved in a triple collision with Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.

Japanese Trackhouse team rider Ai Ogura finished the race in fifth place, ahead of Martin's Aprilia teammate Marko Betsiki, whose hopes of winning the championship took another hit.

Dutchman Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion in Formula 1, will start on Sunday from first place on the starting line of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being held exceptionally in Malaysia, after the Red Bull driver recorded the fastest time on Saturday in the official tests.

This is the first time this season that Verstappen has started from first place, ahead of British Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion.

This will be the Dutch driver's first starting position since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season.

Verstappen's teammate Ishak Hajjar achieved the third fastest time in qualifying, but the French driver will fall five places on the starting grid due to a penalty imposed on Red Bull for installing new engine components that exceed the permitted quota.

Italian world championship leader Kimi Antonelli will take advantage of this to occupy this position, after the Mercedes driver finished the day in fourth place.