Barbora Krejcikova claimed her first title of the year by beating top seed Anett Kontaveit in the inaugural Tallinn Open final on Sunday.
Krejcikova had not won a singles title since her third triumph of 2021 in Prague last July, but ended her drought with a 6-2 6-3 defeat of the top seed.
The Czech ended the home favourite's hopes of being crowned champion in a showpiece match that was over in an hour and 21 minutes.
Kontaveit had won 24 consecutive indoor matches on hard courts, but she was no match for the 2021 French Open champion.
Krejcikova won 71 per cent of points on Kontaveit's second serve, breaking twice in the opening set and three times in the second.
She drew first blood to go 4-2 in the first following precise groundstrokes off both wings, then broke for a second time to seal an opening set in which Kontaveit made 13 unforced errors.
World number four Kontaveit responded with a break in the opening game of the second set, but failed to back that up with a hold.
Kontaveit had the initiative again at 3-1, but there was a sense of deja vu as her opponent broke straight back and served out the match after moving 5-3 in front with another break.
Johann Zarco says he was happy to give Francesco Bagnaia a helping hand in the MotoGP title race rather than push for a Thailand Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
Miguel Oliveira secured his second win of the season on a wet day in Buriram following a delayed start due to heavy rain, with Bagnaia third behind Jack Miller.
Zarco moved up to fourth as he thrived in drier conditions late in the race, but the Pramac Racing rider resisted the temptation to push for victory at the risk of damaging Bagnaia's title hopes.
With Fabio Quartararo only able to finish 17th, Ducati's Bagnaia reduced the defending champion's lead in the standings to only two points with three races to go.
Zarco said: "I was waiting for it to get drier, but it came a bit too late. The amount of water at the beginning of the race was difficult for me.
"The others had a bit more pace and I could not attack too much, I was sliding, so I've lost positions.
"Then it took time to get dry, if it could get dry a bit earlier I would have taken the advantage much earlier and could think about the victory.
"Four laps from the end I was there and two laps from the end almost fighting for the podium, but also hesitating a bit with Pecco as he is doing a great championship.
"I didn't want to make a mistake in the Ducati group. I was really hoping for victory today in these conditions, but I stayed fourth and it's good enough for me."
He added: "It's kind of being clever in the championship. I have lost too many points many races ago.
"I need to race to try to catch a victory, but I have nothing to fight for [in the championship battle], so that's why.
"We are a big group at Ducati, I think if we can sometimes give help in some way, I'm pretty glad the race has been like that."
Aleix Espargaro finished back in 11th and is 20 points adrift of Quartararo, while rookie Marco Bezzecchi crossed the line in 16th after starting on pole for the first time.
Fabio Quartararo endured a Thailand Grand Prix nightmare as Miguel Oliveira secured his second victory of the season on a wet Sunday in Buriram.
Quartararo's lead over Francesco Bagnaia in the battle for the MotoGP title is down to only two points with three races to go after the reigning champion could only finish 17th.
Bagnaia had been 18 points adrift of the championship leader after crashing out on the final lap in Japan last weekend, but reduced the deficit by taking third place at the Chang International Circuit, where Aleix Espargaro finished back in 11th
Oliveira secured a brilliant win after starting back in 11th, with Jack Miller second and Bagnaia holding on for the final podium spot under pressure from Johann Zarco and Marc Marquez.
Rookie Marco Bezzecchi retained his lead following a delayed start due to heavy rain, but had to drop into second behind Miller as punishment for exceeding track limits at Turn 1.
Quartararo plummeted from fourth to 17th on the opening lap, with title rival Bagnaia briefly in second before Miller passed him.
Espargaro made contact with Brad Binder early in another exhilarating race, with Luca Marini sliding off into the gravel and Oliveira moving into second spot as the track dried out.
Marquez surged into fourth place as Quartararo continued to struggle, while Espargaro's title hopes suffered another blow when he was given a long-lap penalty for his clash with Binder.
Oliveira powered past Miller to take the lead 11 laps from the finish and there was no catching the Red Bull KTM rider, as he won for the first time since the second round of the season in Indonesia.
TOP 10
1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) 41:44.503
2. Jack Miller (Ducati) +0.703
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +1.968
4. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +2.490
5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +2.958
6. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) +13.257
7. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +14.566
8. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) +14.861
9. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +15.365
10. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) +18.097
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders
1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) 219
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 217
3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) 199
4. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) 180
5. Jack Miller (Ducati) 179
Teams
1. Ducati 398
2. Aprilia Racing 321
3. Red Bull KTM 285
4. Pramac Racing 278
5. Monster Energy Yamaha 250
Center Steven Adams has signed a multi-year extension with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Though terms were not officially disclosed when the agreement was announced on Saturday, a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN stated it to be a two-year, $25.2million deal.
The 29-year-old New Zealander has altered his role in recent years, having previously averaged 13.9 points per game in consecutive seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder between 2017 and 2019.
Last season, he averaged just 6.9 points for the Grizzlies, but had his best campaign ever for both rebounds (10.0 per game) and assists (3.4 per game).
In fact, his 349 total offensive rebounds and 4.6 offensive rebounds per game were the best numbers in the league, breaking the single-season franchise records set by Zach Randolph during the 2009-10 season.
The Grizzlies begin the 2022-23 season at home to the New York Knicks on October 19.
Yoshihito Nishioka produced an impressive display to shock Denis Shapovalov in the Korea Open final and win his first ATP Tour title in four years.
The Japanese player earned a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) triumph in a competitive contest against fourth seed Shapovalov on Sunday that lasted just under two hours.
Victory gave Nishioka his first trophy since the Shenzhen Open in 2018 and capped a memorable week that also saw him defeat top seed Casper Ruud at the ATP 250 event in Seoul.
Nishioka took a big step towards the second title of his career by breaking Shapovalov at a crucial moment when he was 5-4 up in the opener, both players having earlier saved break points.
His Canadian opponent was in the ascendancy after claiming an early break in the second set but Nishioka fought back from 3-1 down to force a tie-break and then won four of the first five points in the breaker.
Despite Shapovalov reducing the deficit, he was consigned to defeat when he sent a forehand wide, Nishioka dropping to his knees in delight after converting his second match point.
Shapovalov, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, has now lost in four consecutive ATP final appearances and still has just one career title to his name.
The Miami Marlins have elected to shut down National League (NL) Cy Young Award favourite Sandy Alcantara for the remainder of the season.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly announced the decision, which he clarified was not that of the 27-year-old right-hander.
The Marlins will miss the postseason, sitting fourth in the NL East with a 66-92 record.
Alcantara is among the NL Cy Young favourites along with Zach Gallen, Julio Urias and Max Fried.
Alcantara (14-9) has been a standout, with a 2.28 ERA over 32 starts, leading the majors with 228-and-two-thirds innings. He has struck out 207 and walked 50 batters.
"Sandy was, obviously, he's one of those guys that wants to keep going," Mattingly said. "We got to do the best thing for Sandy, and we felt like this was it."
"It's pretty incredible really what Sandy's been able to do. There's no reason to have him continue this year. We got to take care of Sandy first."
Meanwhile, New York Yankees veteran reliever Zack Britton has been placed on their 60-day injured list after failing in his early return from Tommy John surgery.
The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first National League (NL) side in 113 years to reach 110 wins in a single season after rallying for a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
The last NL side to achieve that fear were the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1909. The Dodgers better their record still, with four regular-season games remaining.
The Dodgers also became just the seventh side in MLB history to record 110 wins in a single season, joining the 2001 Mariners (116), 1906 Cubs (116), 1998 Yankees (114), 1954 Cleveland (111), 1927 Yankees (110) and 1909 Pirates (110).
It was not easy this time, trailing 4-1 entering the seventh inning before a patient batting performance where they drew five straight walks, before Cody Bellinger's sacrifice fly tied the game.
Joey Gallo's sac fly put the Dodgers ahead in the eighth inning before Bellinger's RBI single padded the win.
The victory was the Dodgers' 47th comeback of the season, improving their overall record to 110-48.
Swanson steps up as Braves edge Mets
Dansby Swanson underlined his quality in the big moments with a game-changing two-run blast from Max Scherzer in the Atlanta Braves' crunch 4-2 win over the New York Mets in the NL East battle.
Trailing 2-1 at the bottom of the fifth inning with one out on a 3-2 pitch, Swansby blasted Scherzer over center field to homer for the second consecutive day.
The result means the Braves (99-59) lead the NL East by one game with four remaining, sitting ahead of the Mets (98-60).
Padres slug three home runs
Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado and Juan Soto all crushed homers as the San Diego Padres sliced their magic number to one with a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
At 1-1 at the bottom of the sixth inning, Cronenworth deposited a slider from Cy Young hopeful Dylan Cease for a two-run blast over right field.
The Padres' win, combined with the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins was significant in the NL Wild Card race.
San Diego are in the second slot with a 87-71 record, while the Brewers are fourth at 84-74, either side of the Philadelphia Phillies (85-73) who beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 after Kyle Schwarber's leadoff blast.
The unaffiliated neurologist who cleared Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of concussion during last week's game against the Buffalo Bills has been fired.
ESPN is reporting that the dismissal came about due to "several mistakes" being discovered in his evaluation of the Dolphins' QB, who underwent tests at half-time of the game before playing out a 21-19 win.
Tagovailoa, however, suffered a scary concussion in Miami's next game, Thursday's 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, having been stretchered off and taken to hospital in the second quarter.
The NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) launched an investigation into a potential protocol violation after the Dolphins-Bills game, which remains ongoing.
The NFL and NFLPA put out a joint statement on Saturday stating a desire to improve the concussion protocol process.
"The NFL and the NFLPA agree that modifications to the concussion protocol are needed to enhance player safety," the statement said.
"The NFL and the NFLPA agree that The NFLPA's Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee and the NFL's Head Neck and Spine Committee have already begun conversations around the use of the term 'Gross Motor Instability' and we anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process.
"The NFL and NFLPA share a strong appreciation for the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants who contribute their time and expertise to our game solely to advance player safety. This program has made our game safer for the athletes who play it for the past 12 seasons."
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had defended his and his side's decision to allow Tagovailoa to play on against the Bills, insisting he had been passed protocols and been cleared by the independent neurologist.
Mark Hubbard has been consistent throughout at the Country Club of Jackson but he pulled out his best round yet to claim a one-stroke lead from Mackenzie Hughes at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Saturday.
Hubbard holed six birdies on the back nine, including five in a row, as he carded a seven-under 65, the second-best round of the day, to move into the lead at 15 under.
The 33-year-old American joined Hughes and Scott Stallings in the co-lead after a classy chip and putt on the par-four 15th hole for birdie, before an excellent 203-yard approach set him up for birdie on the 18th.
Hubbard, who carded rounds of 67 and 69 on the opening two days respectively, holds a one-shot lead from joint day two leader Hughes who shot at four-under 68 on Saturday.
Hughes also enjoyed the back nine with four birdies, including holing a 29-foot putt on the 18th after a bogey on the 17th to stay in touch with Hubbard.
The pair are well placed to contend for the title, with the next best being three players at 12 under after three rounds, in Garrick Higgo, Stallings and Sep Straka.
Stallings was firmly in contention before two bogeys on his final three holes blemished his day, having been bogey-free with six birdies to that point.
Keegan Bradley, who shot the best round of the day with an eight-under 64, and Nick Hardy are tied at 11 under, with Emiliano Grillo, Dean Burmester and Kim Seong-hyeon one further stroke behind.
Belgian Thomas Detry, who had shared the lead with Hughes after 36 holes, endured a tough day that included three bogeys to slip seven strokes behind the leader.
Davis Riley is looming at nine-under overall, while pre-tournament favourites Andrew Putnam and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are eight under after both carded rounds of 69, with reigning champion Sam Burns battling to make a charge, back at six under.
Shohei Ohtani has agreed to a $30million contract with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2023 season, avoiding the need for arbitration.
Reigning AL MVP Ohtani will now become a free agent after next year, having been handed the largest ever MLB deal for an arbitration-eligible player.
It is rich reward for the two-way superstar, who is being paid a relatively meagre $5.5m this year.
The agreement puts Ohtani in a strong position to make a decision on his future in 12 months' time.
Los Angeles will hope the Japanese recommits, though they have had a losing record in each of his four seasons in LA.
Indeed, the Angels have had seven straight years with a losing record and eight straight without reaching the playoffs.
Ohtani is in direct competition with Aaron Judge for this year's MVP award, but he will be watching from home as the New York Yankees' record-setter enters the postseason.
Despite his dual role, only seven pitchers have more wins this season than Ohtani (15), while his 15-game hitting streak is the longest active run in the major leagues.
Novak Djokovic is yet to drop a set at the Tel Aviv Open as he reached the final with a 6-1 7-6 (7-3) success over Roman Safiullin.
The Serb broke his Russian opponent twice as he cruised to the opening set, and though Safiullin took the 21-time grand slam champion to a tie-break in the second, Djokovic's class showed as he won the tie-break 7-3 to ensure his place in Sunday's decider.
It was far from plain sailing for Djokovic, who conceded the tension in the second set was hard to handle.
Djokovic said: "I think it was a very competitive match, especially in the second set.
"I must say I was quite emotional on the court today in the second set, there was a lot of tension, and that was also due to his aggressive style of tennis. Big serves, and when he has time, he's so solid from the forehand and backhand corner.
"I knew that I had to stay very strong, and that he was definitely going to raise his level in the second set, which happened. I was serving for the match and played a couple of loose points, but credit to him for fighting back. It was an enjoyable evening on the court for sure."
Marin Cilic secured his spot as Djokovic's final opponent with a comfortable straight sets triumph over Constant Lestienne.
The Croatian second seed served 14 aces as he eased to victory in under two hours, winning 11 out of his 12 first-serve points en route to a 7-5 6-3 win.
Holger Rune is into the Sofia Open final after Jannik Sinner was forced to retire through injury with the Dane leading 5-7 6-4 5-2.
Sinner won the opening set but lost the second, and with Rune just one game away from winning the match, the top seed chose to retire with ankle pain, putting an end to his hopes of winning three straight titles in Sofia.
Rune will face Marc-Andrea Huesler in the final, after the world number 95 upset fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti.
The first set went to a tie-break as neither could find a break of serve, though Musetti found two in the tie-break to help him to a 5-1 lead.
However, the Italian surrendered the next six points as Huesler pulled off an incredible comeback to take the first set.
The second set was another tight affair as both held serve after serve, but Huesler finally found a crucial break to prevail 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.
Aleix Espargaro is ready to adopt an "all or nothing" approach in Sunday's Thailand Grand Prix, with his MotoGP title hopes hanging by a thread.
A poor qualifying session saw the Aprilia rider miss out on Q2 and he will begin the race from 13th, while he stands 25 points behind championship leader Fabio Quartararo.
With just four races remaining on the schedule, time is running out for Espargaro to launch an assault on the title, and he is hoping for rain to turn the tide in his favour on Sunday.
"The difference is not an abyss, but I have to drive perfectly all the time. It will be a very difficult race for me, but I think it is not as negative as it seems," Espargaro said after qualifying.
"Anything can happen in the race. It can rain, it can be flag to flag, so I don't lose hope, and we have to cut distances as it is.
"The only thing that is clear to me is that tomorrow if it rains it is all or nothing. There have been races where you had to finish and get points, but tomorrow, if God gives us an opportunity with a flag to flag, or with rain, we have to go to the top because it is one of the few options we have."
The New Orleans Saints have downgraded quarterback Jameis Winston from doubtful to out for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Winston did not practice all week due to back and ankle injuries, leaving veteran Andy Dalton as the Saints' starter when they kick off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
New Orleans are dealing with several key injuries on offense, also ruling out starting left guard Andrus Peat due to a concussion and wide receiver Michael Thomas due to a foot injury.
Running back Alvin Kamara is listed as questionable with ailing ribs but is expected to play.
Winston rallied New Orleans to a 27-26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 but has thrown five interceptions to just two touchdowns in the Saints' two losses since.
Tight end and gadget quarterback Taysom Hill could see a larger share in the Saints' offense with Winston sitting.
The Saints' opponents received good injury news on Friday when Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was cleared to play despite a shoulder injury.
Sunday's contest will be the first of three NFL games in London this year. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 9, and the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars will play at Wembley on October 30.
Lewis Hamilton hopes he can belatedly celebrate his first win of 2022 at the Singapore Grand Prix, believing such a result would pay back Mercedes and his fans for their support in a difficult year.
Hamilton is facing the first winless season of his Formula One career after falling out of title contention.
The seven-time world champion has made six podiums this year but is still waiting to return to the top step with only six races remaining in the season.
Hamilton at least appears to have the pace in Singapore, where he qualified third-fastest on Saturday and revealed only "an oversteer moment" at Turn 16 denied him the chance to take pole ahead of Charles Leclerc.
It was still the Briton's best qualifying performance of the season – which came as a surprise to him – and he is looking to improve further on race day.
"It feels incredibly rewarding, I think, for everyone in the team [to get this performance]," Hamilton said in a press conference.
"We've really started with a real handful, a difficult deck of cards that we've created for ourselves, and [it has meant] reshuffling and lots and lots of work.
"Everyone [has been] staying really positive, or as positive as possible, and everyone is just being incredibly diligent and never giving up.
"So, it's been an inspiring year for me, witnessing what my team do and being a part of that, and yeah, I so badly want to [win].
"Naturally the will and desire to get a good result for them, to pay them back for all their great work is part of it.
"Also, my fans have been the most incredible this year, on and off track. And we couldn't have survived the year without them. So, I also want it for them.
"But I think we've got a great turnout here this weekend. And I hope that tomorrow we can give them a good show."
This weekend, in which Max Verstappen can clinch a second straight title, albeit the Dutchman's chances have been reduced by a frustrating qualifying session, has been overshadowed by speculation of a major salary cap breach.
Red Bull, Verstappen's team, have been forced to deny claims they are the guilty party, and Hamilton was not interested in engaging in gossip.
"I'm not really giving it much attention, to be honest," he said. "It's all whispers at the moment.
"I don't know enough about it to be able to make a sensible comment. I'm not thinking particularly anything.
"I'm proud of my team for the diligence that they've done to run to the rules.
"And honestly, I have full confidence in Mohammed [bin Sulayem, FIA president] in the way that he's conducted himself to this point and in terms of being strict and being clear with the rules.
"The rules are rules, and for those sort of things, which can lead to real alterations in terms of car performance, those sorts of things, we definitely have to take it seriously.
"But as I said, I don't know if it's true or not, so we'll see."
Mayar Sherif became the first Egyptian to win a title on the WTA Tour as she toppled Maria Sakkari in Saturday's Parma Ladies Open final.
The 26-year-old from Cairo scored a 7-5 6-3 victory over Greece's world number seven after both won their semi-finals earlier in the day.
Sakkari began the day by beating Danka Kovinic 7-5 6-2, while Sherif earned her place in the title match by battling to a 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory against Ana Bogdan.
The final surprisingly went the way of Sherif, who first entered the WTA top 100 in August of last year and has reached a high of 44th in the rankings.
She began this week at number 74 but will climb again after the biggest success of her career.
"It means a lot for my country," Sherif said. "I'm just thrilled and happy. This was never expected."
Sherif, who studied sports medicine at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, was understandably weary after her two wins on Saturday. Friday's play had been cancelled due to rain, forcing the players to take to the courts twice on finals day.
"I'm exhausted," Sherif said, quoted on the WTA website. "Today was a very tough day for me, many hours on court. I'm very happy that I pulled it off. I had to dig very deep."
At the Tallinn Open, Sunday's final will be a tantalising tussle between Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova.
World number four Kontaveit was a 6-4 6-4 winner against fellow Estonian Kaia Kanepi in their semi-final.
Czech Krejcikova, who won last year's French Open, saw off Swiss second seed Belinda Bencic 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
The Cleveland Browns ruled defensive end Myles Garrett out for their Week 4 visit to the Atlanta Falcons after the star pass rusher sustained multiple injuries in a car accident on Monday.
Earlier in the week, the Browns had listed Garrett as questionable, but they announced on Saturday he would sit.
Garrett suffered a sprained shoulder and strained biceps in the one-vehicle crash and was hospitalised for several hours after his car went off the road and flipped over.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since the crash, Garrett called it "a hell of an event" on Saturday.
"I feel grateful to be here with what I saw right after and [in] the pictures," Garrett said.
"I'm just grateful not only that I'm alive but that I was able to have so much of my family and the support system that was around me to keep me locked in and keep me focused on taking things day by day."
Police issued Garrett a citation for driving 65 miles per hour in a 45mph zone.
Garrett said he swerved to avoid hitting an animal and lost control of his Porsche when he "overcorrected" his steering on a wet road.
All week, Garrett's team-mates have expressed more concern about his wellbeing than his ability to take the field on Sunday.
"In the grand scheme of life, the best thing is that he's OK," Cleveland quarterback Jacoby Brissett said earlier this week. "When I texted him, I was like, 'man, I'm just glad you're alright'."
Garrett had a career season in 2021 with 16 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss. He has made a solid start this year as he leads the Browns (2-1) with three sacks and five quarterback hits while being tied for the team lead with four tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
"I know he probably wants to [play]," Browns safety John Johnson III said. "But if you asked me, I think he just personally should just sit it out. I think he should just take it easy, man."
Richard Mansell heads into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship armed with a four-shot lead and a glorious chance to earn a first DP World Tour win.
Englishman Mansell was one of just three players to go under 70 when wild weather made for troublesome golfing conditions on Friday, and the 27-year-old followed that impressive 68 with 67 on Saturday to reach 15 under par.
At a tournament where the first three rounds have been split daily between St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, it is Mansell who will start on Sunday as the frontrunner when all competitors head to the Old Course for the closing 18 holes.
Three players sit four shots off the pace, with Sweden's Alex Noren losing ground to Mansell after going round in 69 at St Andrews. He was joined on 11 under by two players who competed at Kingsbarns on Saturday: England's Daniel Gavins (67) and New Zealand's Ryan Fox (65).
Mansell, who played Carnoustie on Saturday, has yet to win on the tour and entered this week on the back of two missed cuts, but he has had top-four finishes this season at the European Open, World Invitational and European Masters.
The world number 218 is having the best year of his career, earning almost €550,000 (£480,000) already, and he can more than double that on Sunday, with $816,000 (£730,000) on offer to the champion.
The low round of Saturday came from Belgium's Thomas Pieters, whose bogey-free 64 repaired some of Friday's damage, when he followed his opening 65 with a ruinous 84.
Rory McIlroy had a 75 on Friday but rebounded with 66 at St Andrews on Saturday to reach seven under, likely too far back to mount a challenge on the final day.
Max Verstappen was forced to abandon his final lap in qualifying after his Red Bull ran out of fuel in Singapore, he confirmed after the session.
The reigning Formula One world champion was pushing to leapfrog Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for pole position in a wet session under the lights but was called into the pits as he approached the line.
Verstappen immediately expressed his fury over team radio and subsequently confirmed in the media pen that he was called in because there was not enough fuel left in the car.
"They told me to abort so I thought okay I'll do that but then on the final lap, they told me to box and then I realised what was going to happen and we ran out of fuel," he told Sky Sports.
"That's just incredibly frustrating and shouldn't happen. And even when you under-fuel it, you track that throughout the session, you're not going to make it and we should've seen that clearly.
"Not happy at the moment. It's a team effort. I can make mistakes and the team can make mistakes but it's never acceptable. Of course, you learn from it but this is really bad and shouldn't happen."
F1 regulations state that each team must have enough fuel remaining after qualifying for scrutineering, with punishments issued if the required amount cannot be met.
Verstappen will start eighth on the grid for Sunday's race in south east Asia, where he can mathematically win the title but would require a massive shake-up across the grid.
Charles Leclerc clinched a ninth pole position of the season in Singapore, with Max Verstappen struggling in the wet conditions.
Intermediate tyres were used across the grid in the first two rounds of qualifying, with the deck only being shuffled in Q3 as eight of the 10 runners made the jump to slicks – though there were initial difficulties to find pace.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were the first to hit their stride while others tiptoed around the wet sections of the track, with each claiming provisional pole twice before a resurgence from others on the grid.
Leclerc, who held pole the last time F1 visited Singapore in 2019, punched home a blistering lap to initially open a lead of a second and a half before others responded, Sergio Perez joining him on the front row as Hamilton lines up third – just five hundredths of a second away from his first pole of the 2022 season.
It was an entirely different story for a furious Verstappen, who will start eighth on the grid after being forced to abandon his final lap, unleashing his anger over the team radio.
Verstappen could seal the championship under the lights in Singapore if results go his way, though it now seems even more unlikely given his lowly start.
Leclerc admitted the conditions made for a tricky challenge for the drivers, with his call to move away from the intermediate compound coming just before the start of the final session
"It's been a very tricky qualifying, Q1 and Q2 with the intermediates, then in Q3 we didn't really know what to do," he said. "We went for the soft at the very last minute, and it paid off.
"It was really tricky, I made a mistake in my last lap, so I thought we wouldn't get through, but it was just enough, so I'm really happy."
Perez, starting second, will have a big role to play in Verstappen's charge up the grid and intends to immediately put Leclerc under pressure.
"It's an opportunity tomorrow to attack Charles from the start and go for the win," he said.
"It's disappointing to miss out on pole by two hundredths, but at the end of the day, it's a great result."
Hamilton was also disappointed to narrowly miss out on pole, saying: "I was pushing so hard, it was so close. These guys are always so quick, but I just thought that maybe with a perfect lap we could be pushing for first place.
"We just didn't have the grip in the last lap, but I'm grateful to be on the second row. I'm grateful for the team to keep pushing, and we'll keep our head down. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day."
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:49:412
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.022
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.054
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.171
5. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.554
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.172
7. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +1.799
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.983
9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +2.161
10. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +2.571
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