Hataoka became the first home player in seven years to win the Japan title, firing seven birdies with two bogeys to finish 14-under par at Seta Golf Club in Shiga.

“I’m glad to win here in Japan,” Hataoka said before a big crowd adding that she had faced “a challenge” after back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th.

The diminutive 19-year-old, who is just 1.58 metres (5ft 2in) tall, sank further birdies at the par-four 14th and par-five last hole to seal the victory.

“I was able to play calmly from the 13th hole,” a smiling Hataoka said as she kissed the winner’s trophy.

In June, Hataoka became the 14th Japanese player to win an LPGA title by finishing 54 holes at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, on 21-under par 192, the lowest score in tournament history.

Local favourite Momoko Ueda, who won the Japan Classic in 2011, shot five birdies with a bogey for a 68 to share second place with Japan’s Saki Nagamine and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.

China’s Feng Shanshan, the two-time defending champion, shot 72 to be tied 30th, and newly crowned world number one Ariya Jutanugarn was at tied 19th after carding a 69.

Suzuki’s Alex Rins came in second after overtaking Yamaha rider Johann Zarco, who finished third, in the final stage of the race at Sepang.

Italian star Rossi finished 18th after tumbling off his bike on the 16th lap and losing the lead to Marquez, who was crowned world champion last month in Japan.

Nine-time world champion Rossi, second on the grid, looked to be heading for his first win in Malaysia since 2010 as he dominated the early stages.

However Marquez, who qualified in pole position but was hit with a six-place grid penalty for impeding another rider, slowly worked his way through the pack.

The Spaniard reached second place and was slowly closing the gap on Rossi, 39, when the Italian fell off his bike as he leaned into a corner.

He got up and continued but by that point victory had already slipped out of his grasp.

Marquez, 25, was dominant in the final stages of the race and opened up a big gap to the rest of the field.

“The start was not perfect but then I started to take out the riders step-by-step,” said Marquez.

“I started to feel better and better, and I started to see I was catching (Rossi).”

Marquez also lost his pole position in the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas in April and was dropped to fourth on the starting grid after being penalised for disturbing Maverick Vinales in qualifying.

He went on to win that race for the sixth consecutive time.

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, the winner in Malaysia in 2016 and 2017, could only manage sixth but retains second place in the overall standings, with Rossi’s crash leaving the Italian in third with one race remaining.

The rain stayed away after organisers shifted the start of the MotoGP two hours earlier in a bid to avoid tropical downpours, which usually occur in the late afternoon in Malaysia.

The decision came after Saturday’s qualifying session was delayed by more than an hour due to heavy rain.

Humidity and tropical rain are a constant challenge for riders at the Sepang circuit. The 2016 and 2017 editions of the MotoGP took place during heavy downpours.

Thai billionaire Vichai was among five people killed when his helicopter crashed outside Leicester’s King Power Stadium following last Saturday’s match against West Ham.

The horrific accident triggered a week of mourning in Leicester and throughout the world of football but the match in Cardiff went ahead after the midweek League Cup game with Southampton was postponed.

The action on the pitch was totally overshadowed by the tributes for a much-loved chairman but the former Premier League champions held their nerve to earn a narrow win that lifted them to 10th spot.

The decisive moment came 10 minutes into the second half when winger Demarai Gray steered home a neat volley with his left foot beyond goalkeeper Neil Etheridge after a precise low cross from Ben Chilwell.

Gray looked to the heavens and all of Leicester’s players, including goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, raced to the corner of the ground where their fans were celebrating.

The scorer was not spared any sentiment however, and was promptly booked for taking his shirt off to reveal a T-shirt that read “For Khun Vichai”.

Denmark international Schmeichel, who was in tears as Leicester’s players and staff locked arms in the centre circle during a poignant minute’s silence before kick-off, said the occasion had been tough for the players to handle.

“That took a lot. It has been an emotional day and glad we got three points for him,” he said. “Every single player wanted to get out there to be at the funeral.

“We are glad we’ve come away today from a really tough game with a win we can bring to Thailand and hope we did the family proud.”

The team took a jet to Thailand right after the game.

– Thailand funeral –

Most of Leicester’s players, manager Claude Puel and senior staff are due to fly to Thailand for the funeral of Vichai, whose eight-year reign peaked in 2016 when the 5,000-1 outsiders became Premier League champions in astonishing style.

“We had a lot of chances and we deserve this result and it is a fantastic opportunity to honour the chairman,” Puel told Sky Sports.

“Now is just the first step and I hope we can continue next week with the same feeling,” he added.

“It will be difficult because we come back from Bangkok in the middle of the week for our first home game and we know before and after we have events to honour the chairman and it will be important to keep our self-control.”

Most Leicester fans wore white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “The Boss” and a picture of Vichai on the front, and on the back “Khun Vichai, You Will Be Forever In Our Hearts”

The players warmed up in similar T-shirts over their training gear.

A giant Thai flag with both clubs’ crests on it reading “RIP Vichai” was passed from the home fans to the visiting supporters.

Three minutes into the match, Leicester’s fans broke into a rendition of “When You’re Smiling”, the anthem that sound-tracked happier days during the club’s title triumph.

On the hour mark, Leicester fans delivered another tribute to their late owner when they sang “There’s Only One Vichai”, waving their scarves.

After the final whistle,  Leicester’s players and staff stood to applaud their fans for several minutes, taking in the chants of “Vichai” and “Champions of England, you made us sing that”.

The Serb, who will replace Rafael Nadal as world number one on Monday, outlasted Federer in just over three hours to prevail 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3).

He will meet Russia’s Karen Khachanov in Sunday’s final as he looks to pull level with Nadal on 33 career Masters titles.

Djokovic has won his last four meetings with Federer and now leads the Swiss 25-22 overall, having not lost to the 20-time Grand Slam champion since 2015.

“We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” said Djokovic, who is aiming to clinch a fourth title in a row after wins at Cincinnati, the US Open and Shanghai.

“High quality tennis. Next to the match I played against Nadal in the semis of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I was playing this year, and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.

“When I get to play Roger, I know I have to get the best out of myself in order to win. And that’s why our rivalries and matches are so special.”

Djokovic will go in search of a fifth Paris trophy after denying Federer a shot at a historic 100th title, although the Wimbledon and US Open champion was pushed all the way by his 37-year-old rival.

Djokovic watched four break points, one of which Federer saved with a magnificent reflex volley, go by as he led 4-3 in the opening set, before saving a set point on his serve in the tie-break.

A Federer backhand drifted wide to hand Djokovic the lead, although two more break points passed the Serb by in the first game of the second set with the Swiss on the ropes.

The missed opportunity proved costly when Federer conjured up just a second break point of the contest at 6-5, converting in style as he gambled on Djokovic going cross-court before batting a winner down the line to force a decider.

Federer fended off two more break points to open the third set as Djokovic hit the deck when his ankle appeared to catch in the surface.

The Serb threw his racket down in frustration as Federer again escaped from 15-40 down to move 5-4 ahead, but the Swiss star’s magic fizzled out as the final set headed to a tie-break.

– ‘Novak on a roll’ –

Djokovic rattled off six successive points to bring up five match points, clinching victory at the third attempt when Federer picked out the net to end a tense concluding rally.

“Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it. At the end it came down to a few things here and there,” said Federer.

“But overall I’m happy with my game. It’s better than last week in Basel. There I won the tournament and here I played in the semis and it needed somebody of Novak’s calibre to beat me.

“So that’s all right. And I’m looking forward to a rest now and a good preparation for London (ATP Finals).”

Earlier, the 22-year-old Khachanov advanced to his first Masters final after beating Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1.

“I’m really happy to achieve this, to make it to the finals. But the tournament is not over. I mean, I’m looking forward to play finals tomorrow,” said the 18th-ranked Russian.

The 1.98m Khachanov dominated from the baseline and attacked the Thiem service, breaking the Austrian in his final five service games of the match.

Khachanov has won two ATP World Tour titles in 2018 with triumphs in Marseille and at the Kremlin Cup.

“I am very happy with the way I have been playing,” said the Russian who is assured of climbing at least to 12th in the ATP rankings when they are published on Monday.

The number two in Thailand’s junta Prawit Wongsuwan and CP group’s Dhanin Chearavanont, the richest man in the country, were seen arriving at the week-long ceremony, which begins with three days of royally-sponsored bathing rites.

Prominent figures in Thailand’s music and sporting scene were also in attendance to honour the odds-defying life of Vichai, 60, who along with four others died in a helicopter accident moments after they departed the football club’s pitch a week ago.

The tragic ending stunned Thais who had followed Vichai’s fairytale-like success and the days since have been filled with heartfelt comments from admirers, footballers, friends and relatives.

“He’s now the leader of Thai football and leader of world football because he changed a lot of things when he took the chairmanship of Leicester City,” Thai football legend Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang told AFP outside the ceremony, his tone sombre.

“Because Leicester can show they could be champion of the Premier League, that’s why anything in Thailand can happen in the future.”

Vichai rose from having a single store in Bangkok to owning the duty-free King Power empire, whose shops are ubiquitous in Thailand’s tourist-heavy airports.

Using the profits from his monopoly, he bought Leicester City and helped turn them from an unremarkable English club into the surprise winners of the Premier League title in 2016.

Despite his business smarts Vichai owed his ascent to canny navigation of Thailand’s unpredictable politics and powerbrokers.

His links to the monarchy were reflected in the name of his company and the former king’s act of royally bestowing a surname that translates to “auspicious and prosperous light”.

‘Honour his name’

The private funeral at Wat Thepsirin has regal touches, with an octagonal urn among the items given by the king and court musicians playing drums and flutes.

After the bathing rites Buddhist monks will recite prayers from religious texts and the body will then be kept for 100 days before cremation, though a date has not been set.

Members of the Leicester team including coach Claude Puel are due to fly to Thailand to pay their respects after what is likely to be an emotion-packed afternoon away match against Cardiff City Saturday.

“We all spoke about … wanting to play, it’s what Vichai would’ve wanted and that’s what we are going to do,” striker Jamie Vardy told Sky Sports, adding that they would “honour his name” with their performance.

Vardy, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Wes Morgan, are expected to travel to Thailand along with Puel and senior staff.

Vichai leaves behind a wife and four children, two sons and two daughters.

All five are on the executive board of King Power, which faces an uncertain future.

Vichai’s youngest son Aiyawatt — better known by his nickname “Top” — said in an Instagram post this week that his father had “left me with a legacy to continue and I will do everything I can to carry on his big vision and dreams.”

The four other crash victims were identified by British police as Nursara Suknamai — an actress and a runner-up in Miss Thailand Universe in 2005 — and Kaveporn Punpare, both members of Vichai’s staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

Aiming at her second LPGA crown this season, the world number five fired eight birdies with no bogey at par-72 Seta Golf Club in Shiga, improving to 13-under 131.

Lee, who was tied for fifth in the first round, displayed a steady performance with precision shots, while first-round leader Ryu So-yeon sank to be tied 13th with three bogeys.

“I had no bogeys today and so obviously no bogey round is always a solid round,” Lee said afterwards.

Asked about her strategy on the final day, she said she would “play smart and aggressive at the same time.”

Local favourite Sakura Koiwai shot seven birdies with a bogey for a 66 followed by compatriot Nasa Hataoka and Jiyai Shin of South Korea one stroke back.

“I’m surprised as I never thought of this result,” Koiwai said.

“Since tomorrow is the final day, I want to concentrate on the game hit by hit so that I can have no regret,” she said.

China’s Feng Shanshan, the two-time defending champion, shot 71 to be tied 22th, and newly crowned world number one Ariya Jutanugarn was at tied 25th after also carding a 71.

Qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix was delayed for over an hour as the Sepang International Circuit was hit by a torrential downpour.

When the race finally got underway, Honda’s Marquez, who clinched the world championship in Japan last month, clocked the fastest lap time of 2min 12.161 sec early on and stayed in the lead for the whole race.

About 10 minutes in, he fell off his bike on the rain-soaked track as he rounded a sharp turn. But he got back up straight away unhurt, and continued racing.

Yamaha’s Johann Zarco was in second place, 0.548 off the pace, while Italian legend Valentino Rossi rounded out the front row.

There was disappointment for Ducati’s Dovizioso, who only managed to clock the fifth fastest time and also took a tumble on the slippery track. He also got up and walked away, apparently uninjured.

The Italian is chasing his third consecutive victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as seeks to secure the runner-up spot in the overall standings this season.

He is currently in second position in the standings and his closest rival is Yamaha’s Rossi, snapping at his heels in third place.

Organisers also decided to shift Sunday’s MotoGP forward by two hours to 1:00 pm (0500 GMT), in a bid to avoid the heavy rains that typically fall later in the afternoon in tropical Malaysia.

Vichai, 60, and four other people died in a horrific helicopter accident moments after they departed the club’s pitch a week ago, bringing an abrupt end to the fairytale life of Thailand’s fifth-richest man.

He rose from having a single store in Bangkok to owning the duty-free King Power empire, whose shops are ubiquitous in Thailand’s tourist-heavy airports.

Using the profits from his monopoly Vichai snagged Leicester City and helped turn it from an unremarkable English club to a shock winner of the Premier League title in 2016.

Thais were stunned by the tragic demise of a man known mainly for one business success after another but who owed much of his ascent to canny navigation of Thailand’s unpredictable politics and elite society.

That included the monarchy, links reflected in the name of his company and the former king’s act of royally bestowing on Vichai a surname that translates to “auspicious and prosperous light”.

Vichai’s body was flown back to Thailand and taken to Wat Thepsirin on Friday where prominent individuals close to the family wore black for a private gathering ahead of the official ceremony which starts Saturday evening and lasts until November 9.

‘Honour his name’

The ceremony will have regal touches, with an octagonal urn among the items given by the monarchy and court musicians playing drums and flutes during royally-sponsored bathing rites.

Buddhist monks will recite prayers from religious texts and afterwards the body will be kept for 100 days before a cremation but a date has not been set.

Members of the Leicester team including coach Claude Puel are due to fly to Thailand to pay their respects after an afternoon away match against Cardiff City Saturday.

“We all spoke about … wanting to play, it’s what Vichai would’ve wanted and that’s what we are going to do,” striker Jamie Vardy told Sky Sports, adding that they would “honour his name” with their performance.

Vardy, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Wes Morgan, are expected to travel along with Puel and senior staff.

Vichai leaves behind a wife and four children, two sons and two daughters.

All five are on the executive board of King Power, which faces an uncertain future.

In the first public reaction from the family, Vichai’s youngest son Aiyawatt — better known by his nickname “Top” — said in an Instagram post this week that his father had “left me with a legacy to continue and I will do everything I can to carry on his big vision and dreams.”

The four other crash victims were identified by British police as Nursara Suknamai — an actress and a runner-up in Miss Thailand Universe in 2005 — and Kaveporn Punpare, both members of Vichai’s staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

The former Manchester United player is the AIA Global Ambassador and is in the capital to help promote the 80^th anniversary of the insurance company.