Musashimaru pushed
to the brink at Kyushu

Kyodo News Service

FUKUOKA -- Yokozuna Musashimaru had his hands full with an old foe Tuesday but still managed to escape unscathed to post his second straight win of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

Fighting in the day's final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Musashimaru took on unbeaten No. 2 maegashira Kotonishiki, who came charging out of the face-off with a sudden burst of speed.

Musashimaru deftly sidestepped the veteran Sadogatake stable wrestler, got his left hand on the belt and then, after a prolonged standoff at the center of the ring, forced Kotonishiki out over the ring's straw ridge to improve his record to 2-1.

Fellow yokozuna Takanohana, who ended a string of seven straight losses Monday with a win over komusubi Musoyama, also notched his second win when he took a hold of Miyabiyama's belt and muscled the winless top maegashira out shortly after the face-off.

In a battle of undefeated wrestlers, komusubi Tosanoumi turned ozeki Takanonami (2-1) around at the center of the ring and shoved him out from behind to remain in the lead at 3-0 along with fifth-ranked maegashira Toki and No. 13 maegashira Ohinode.

Tosanoumi's win over Takanonami was his third straight victory of the tournament over an ozeki. The Isenoumi stable wrestler defeated Chiyotaikai on the opening day and then handed Dejima his first loss on Monday.

Chiyotaikai improved to 2-1 with an easy victory over top maegashira Tamakasuga (1-2).

After several thrusts to the neck of his opponent, Chiyotaikai got his hand on the back of Tamakasuga's head and sent him tumbling down to the dirt surface.

Fellow ozeki Dejima (2-1) rebounded from Monday's loss to Tosanoumi with a win over Mongolian-born No. 3 maegashira Kyokushuzan, who tried to fake his opponent out after the face-off.

Dejima, however, got both arms under the arms of the feisty Mongolian and, showing the composure of an ozeki, buried his head in the chest of Kyokushuzan (0-3) for a force-out victory.

Earlier, unbeaten Toki had an easy time with Chiyotenzan when he pulled the eighth-ranked maegashira down at the center of the ring shortly after the face-off. Chiyotenzan dropped to 1-2.

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Results -- 3rd day of
Kyushu sumo tourney

Results of makuuchi division bouts Tuesday, the third day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center:

Won -- Technique -- Lost

Daizen 2-1 -- oshidashi -- Ganyu 0-3

Ohinode 3-0 -- sukuinage -- Takanowaka 2-1

Tochinonada 2-1 -- yorikiri -- Shikishima 2-1

Tokitsuumi 1-2 -- yorikiri -- Hamanoshima 1-2

Otsukasa 2-1 -- tsukiotoshi -- Wakanosato 1-2

Kaiho 2-1 -- hikiotoshi -- Asanowaka 0-3

Kotoryu 1-2 -- uwatenage -- Kyokutenho 0-3

Higonoumi 2-1 -- okuridashi -- Wakanoyama 2-1

Toki 3-0 -- hikiotoshi -- Chiyotenzan 1-2

Minatofuji 2-1 -- oshidashi -- Aogiyama 1-2

Kotonowaka 2-1 -- uwatenage -- Asanosho 1-2

Musoyama 2-1 -- oshidashi -- Terao 1-2

Tochiazuma 2-1 -- oshitaoshi -- Takatoriki 0-3

Akinoshima 2-1 -- oshidashi -- Kaio 1-2

Dejima 2-1 -- yorikiri -- Kyokushuzan 0-3

Chiyotaikai 2-1 -- hatakikomi -- Tamakasuga 1-2

Tosanoumi 3-0 -- okuridashi -- Takanonami 2-1

Takanohana 2-1 -- yorikiri -- Miyabiyama 0-3

Musashimaru 2-1 -- yorikiri -- Kotonishiki 2-1

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Results in Scoreboard

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Kyodo News Service