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Takanohana bounces back,
Takatoriki unbeaten
at Spring sumo

OSAKA, March 20 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Takanohana returned to form Monday with an impressive victory over Musoyama, while rank-and-file grappler Takatoriki remained unbeaten on the ninth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Takanohana, who lost to komusubi Kaio on Sunday, looked sharp from the outset when he got a hold of Musoyama's belt shortly after the face-off and, fighting off an arm throw, used every ounce of strength to muscle the bulky sekiwake out of the ring.

Both wrestlers now stand at 7-2 in the 15-day meet at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium along with yokozuna Akebono, sekiwake Miyabiyama and eighth-ranked maegashira Asanowaka.

Yokozuna Musashimaru, meanwhile, remains one win behind Takatoriki at 8-1 after posting an easy victory over fourth-ranked maegashira Takanowaka (2-7), in which the Samoan-born giant barely broke a sweat.

Akebono wasted little time in racking up his seventh victory when he came charging out of the blocks and simply overpowered Mongolian-born Kyokutenho (3-6) in the day's final bout.

Miyabiyama suffered his second loss of the tourney when komusubi Tosanoumi fought off a series of arm thrusts and forced the Musashigawa stable wrestler to the edge of the ring where he bellied him out to improve to 5-4.

In an earlier bout, surprise leader and No. 14 maegashira Takatoriki had little trouble with Asanowaka (7-2) as he spun the eighth-ranked maegashira around after the face-off and shoved him out for his ninth straight win.

Ozeki Takanonami (3-6) fell to his fifth straight loss at the hands of No. 2 maegashira Tamakasuga, who got his opponent off balance after the face-off and then carried him over the straw ridge to pick up his third win.

Fellow ozeki Dejima posted his second straight victory and improved to 6-3 when he bulldozed top maegashira Kyokushuzan into the first row of seats while sending the Mongolian trickster to his fourth loss of the tourney.

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Results on 9th day of Spring
Grand Sumo Tournament

OSAKA, March 20 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Monday, the ninth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ indicates juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost
Kaiho 5-4 kotenage +Kotomitsuki 8-1 +Otsukasa 5-4 tsukiotoshi Oikari 1-8
Daizen 5-4 yorikiri Hamanoshima 5-4
Takatoriki 9-0 oshidashi Asanowaka 7-2
Terao 4-5 oshitaoshi Tokitsuumi 3-6
Hayateumi 4-5 yorikiri Shikishima 2-7
Tochinonada 6-3 yorikiri Toki 5-4
Asanosho 5-4 hatakikomi Chiyotenzan 4-5
Oginishiki 5-4 katasukashi Minatofuji 1-8
Akinoshima 4-5 uwatenage Wakanoyama 3-6
Tosanoumi 5-4 yorikiri Miyabiyama 7-2
Kaio 4-5 kotenage Tochiazuma 4-5
Chiyotaikai 5-4 oshidashi Kotoryu 3-6
Dejima 6-3 yorikiri Kyokushuzan 4-5
Tamakasuga 3-6 oshidashi Takanonami 3-6
Takanaohana 7-2 yorikiri Musoyama 7-2
Musashimaru 8-1 okuridashi Takanowaka 2-7
Akebono 7-2 yorikiri Kyokutenho 3-6

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Tuesday's bouts

+Kinkaiyama x - x Kaiho
+Kotomitsuki x - x Daizen
Hamanoshima 0 - 0 Oikari
Takatoriki 10 - 3 Oginishiki
Tokitsuumi 0 - 0 Hayateumi
Asanosho 3 - 0 Toki
Tochinonada 0 - 2 Asanowaka
Terao 6 - 7 Shikishima
Akinoshima 1 - 2 Chiyotenzan
Minatofuji 3 - 1 Kyokutenho
Tosanoumi 10 - 5 Tamakasuga
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Kaio
Tochiazuma 2 - 3 Miyabiyama
Musoyama 4 - 6 Kyokushuzan
Dejima 4 - 5 Chiyotaikai
Kotoryu 0 - 3 Akebono
Takanohana 0 - 0 Takanowaka
Musashimaru 27 - 16 Takanonami

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Underdog Takatoriki
in lead at 9-0

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Underdog Takatoriki extended his perfect record to 9-0 and kept the sole lead Monday, the ninth day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru also won and was one victory behind at 8-1, trailed by his fellow yokozunas Akebono and Takanohana, who were tied for 7-2 with three lower-ranked wrestlers.

Takatoriki, the 14th and lowest ranked maegashira (senior wrestler) in the top makuuchi division, drove out No. 8 maegashira Asanowaka (7-2) with a decisive push into the belly at the ringside.

Musashimaru, born Fiamalu Penitani, pushed out No. 4 maegashira Takanowaka (2-7) after cornering him to the ringside using hand thrusts.

Takanohana gripped sekiwake (junior champion) Musoyama's loin belt from both sides and dragged him to the ringside before throwing him out with a decisive push. Musoyama is 7-2.

Akebono, or Hawaiian-born Chad Rowan, drove out No. 2 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Batbayar Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, by giving him a series of hand thrusts aimed at his neck.

Another Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, wrestling as No. 1 maegashira Kyokushuzan, suffered his fifth defeat against four victories when his foot slipped out at ringsing while trying to throw down ozeki (champion) Dejima (6-3).

In juryo, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 7-ranked Hoshitango (2-7), or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was driven out by No. 5-ranked Tomonohana (4-5).

No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, tossed out No. 2-ranked Kinkaiyama (7-2) for his eighth victory against one defeat.

In the makushita top junior division, No. 48-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, kept his perfect record at 5-0 after shoving out Aoba, who is No. 6-ranked in the lower jonidan class. No. 58-ranked Kyokutenzan (4-1), or Mongolian Enkhbat Atmunkha, threw out No. 57-ranked Daikiyama.

No. 12-ranked Hoshiandesu (3-2) Argentine Jose Antonio Juarez, slapped down 16-ranked Towanoyama.

In jonidan, No. 5-ranked Kasugaoh, Kim Son-tek from South Korea, pushed out the top-ranked Masutaka, while his fellow countryman Baeg Yun-gi, or No. 68-ranked Kaihakusan, was thrown down by No. 75-ranked Umenosato. Both Kasugaoh and Kaihakusan are 3-2.

In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, another Korean Kim Soo-young, or No. 117-ranked Ryukizan, earned his first victory against four losses as he pushed down No. 127-ranked Hoshi. No. 120-ranked Kitakasuga (3-2), or Mongolian Tsolmonbayar Munkhbat, slapped down No. 115-ranked Kaito.

In jonokuchi, the junior division's bottom class, two Mongolians suffered defeat, their first. No. 13-ranked Daibanjaku, or Batsukh Khaidavmunkh, was driven out by No. 35-ranked Asanotosa, and No. 34-ranked Asasekiryu, or Badaarch Dashunyam, was thrown down by No. 5-ranked Tochishimizu.

Their fellow Mongolian Ariunbayar Unurjargal, or No. 35-ranked Hakuba, tripped No. 38-ranked Hokukimura, lifting himself to a 3-2.

Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.

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Results of main sumo bouts

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Monday, the ninth day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium:

Winners Losers
Kaiho (5-4) Kotomitsuki (juryo) (8-1)
Otsukasa (juryo) (5-4) Oikari (1-8)
Daizen (5-4) Hamanoshima (5-4)
Takatoriki (9-0) Asanowaka (7-2)
Terao (4-5) Tokitsuumi (3-6)
Hayateumi (4-5) Shikishima (2-7)
Tochinonada (6-3) Toki (5-4)
Asanosho (5-4) Chiyotenzan (4-5)
Oginishiki (5-4) Minatofuji (1-8)
Akinoshima (4-5) Wakanoyama (3-6)
Tosanoumi (5-4) Miyabiyama (7-2)
Kaio (4-5) Tochiazuma (4-5)
Chiyotaikai (5-4) Kotoryu (3-6)
Dejima (6-3) Kyokushuzan (4-5)
Tamakasuga (3-6) Takanonami (3-6)
Takanaohana (7-2) Musoyama (7-2)
Musashimaru (8-1) Takanowaka (2-7)
Akebono (7-2) Kyokutenho (3-6)

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Juryo

Hoshitango (2-6) Tomonohana (3-5)
Sentoryu (7-1) Kinkaiyama (7-1)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Hoshiandesu (3-2) Towanoyama
Kuniazuma (5-0) Aoba
Kyokutenzan (4-1) Daikiyama

Sandanme

Kasugaoh (4-1) Masutaka
Umenosato Kaihakusan (3-2)

Jonidan

Ryukizan (1-4) Hoshi
Kaito Kitakasuga (3-2)

Jonokuchi

Asanotosa Daibanjaku (4-1)
Toshishimizu Asasekiryu (4-1)
Hakuba (3-2) Hokukimura

(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)

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Tuesday's main bouts

Kinkaiyama (juryo) Kaiho
Kotomitsuki (juryo) Daizen
Hamanoshima Oikari
Takatoriki Oginishiki
Tokitsuumi Hayateumi
Asanosho Toki
Tochinonada Asanowaka
Terao Shikishima
Akinoshima Chiyotenzan
Minatofuji Kyokutenho
Tosanoumi Tamakasuga
Wakanoyama Kaio
Tochiazuma Miyabiyama
Musoyama Kyokushuzan
Dejima Chiyotaikai
Kotoryu Akebono
Takanohana Takanowaka
Musashimaru Takanonami

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Results in Scoreboard

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Ozumo
Kyodo News Service