Reigning champion Marc Márquez (Ducati) won Saturday's sprint, the short half-distance race run before the main Sunday event, at Motegi (a circuit north of Tokyo), beating compatriot Jorge Martín, who started from a record pole and finished third. The result leaves the two Spaniards just two points apart in the MotoGP world championship standings. It sharpens a daily duel between them that is shaping up as the central fight for this season's title.