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No change at top
as yokozuna duo go to
8-1 at summer sumo

Sunday action

TOKYO, May 15 (Kyodo) -- Takanohana was in total control Monday as he boosted his record to 8-1, while Akebono kept pace with his rival yokozuna to retain a four-way share of the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

Takanohana, chasing his 21st Emperor's Cup, gave Tamakasuga little chance as he expertly shut down the offense of the No. 4 maegashira before muscling him out of the ring to his fifth loss in front of a full house at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Hawaiian-born giant Akebono won few marks for artistic impression against Tosanoumi (5-4), but had little trouble shoving out the komusubi, who paid for his lack of lateral movement and finished in a heap five meters from the ring's surface.

Meanwhile, komusubi Kaio and rank-and-filer Tochinohana also won to join the grand champions at 8-1 for the 15-day meet.

Kaio, a one-time ozeki candidate, threw down No. 5 maegashira Kotoryu (6-3) in a scrappy bout, while Tochinohana - making his debut in sumo's top makuuchi division as a No. 12 maegashira - flattened 14th-ranked Jumonji (4-5) to secure a majority of wins.

Takanonami, who needs eight wins to avoid demotion from ozeki after a losing record in the spring tourney in March, bundled out top-ranked maegashira Asanowaka (2-7) to improve to 6-3, while ozeki Chiyotaikai outfoxed komusubi Takatoriki (2-7) for win No. 7.

The third ozeki, Dejima, slipped to 5-4, however, finding himself on the wrong end of a slap attack from sekiwake Tochiazuma, who left the ring with a 6-3 record.

Ozeki prospect Miyabiyama squashed top-ranked maegashira Tochinonada (3-6) for his sixth win, while Mongolian sumo fans celebrated a rare double as No. 4 maegashira Kyokushuzan (2-7) and sixth-ranked Kyokutenho (4-5) both won.

Results

Results of main bouts on 9th day of summer sumo tourney

TOKYO, May 15 (Kyodo) -- Results of makuuchi division bouts on Monday, the ninth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo:

Won -- Technique -- Lost
Tochinohana 8-1 -- yoritaoshi -- Jumonji 4-5
Aogiyama 4-5 -- oshidashi -- Hayateumi 5-4
Shikishima 5-4 -- yorikiri -- Terao 3-6
Kotonowaka 7-2 -- yorikiri -- Tokitsuumi 4-5
Takanowaka 5-4 -- tsukiotoshi -- Toki 6-3
Chiyotenzan 4-5 -- oshidashi -- Asanosho 0-9
Kyokutenho 4-5 -- yorikiri -- Higonoumi 4-5
Kyokushuzan 2-7 -- yorikiri -- Kinkaiyama 2-7
Oginishiki 4-5 -- uwatenage -- Akinoshima 5-4
Kaiho 3-6 -- uwatedashinage -- Hamanoshima 2-7
Wakanoyama 3-6 -- tsukiotoshi -- Daizen 1-8
Kaio 8-1 -- kotenage -- Kotoryu 6-3
Miyabiyama 6-3 -- uwatenage -- Tochinonada 3-6
Chiyotaikai 7-2 -- hatakikomi -- Takatoriki 2-7
Tochiazuma 6-3 -- oshidashi -- Dejima 5-4
Takanonami 6-3 -- yorikiri -- Asanowaka 2-7
Takanohana 8-1 -- yorikiri -- Tamakasuga 4-5
Akebono 8-1 -- oshidashi -- Tosanoumi 5-4

---

Yokozuna pair
improve to 7-1
at summer sumo

TOKYO, May 14 (Kyodo) -- Takanohana survived a scare Sunday, but Akebono barely broke sweat as the yokozuna pair improved to 7-1 to join komusubi Kaio and rank-and-filer Tochinohana in a four-way tie for the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

Tochiazuma gave Takanohana a stiff workout in the day's final bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, only for the grand champion to escape with some excellent footwork at the edge as the sekiwake overcooked his attack and slipped to 5-3 in the 15-day tourney.

Television replays showed that Takanohana had kept his feet in the ring while Tochiazuma scooted past him, undoing his good work in backing the 20-time Emperor's Cup winner to the straw bails, but it needed a conference by the ringside judges to uphold the decision.

Akebono immediately ran over Oginishiki (3-5), bending the No. 3 maegashira over backwards with a left-hand grip to the throat to register his seventh win and silence his critics after one or two fortuitous results in the first week.

Kaio, meanwhile, got a lucky break as Takanonami (5-3), who needs eight wins to avoid demotion from ozeki after a losing record at the spring tourney in March, came in too high at the charge and quickly allowed himself to be lifted out by the resurgent komusubi.

Okezi hopeful Miyabiyama hit a snag as he plucked defeat from the jaws of victory against ozeki Chiyotaikai and took his third loss of the meet.

Despite coming off second best after an initial spell of slapping and thrusting, Chiyotaikai managed to slip to the right at the edge and run his overeager opponent out from behind to up his own record to 6-2.

Ozeki Dejima won few points for style, but did enough to shove out No. 4 maegashira Tamakasuga (4-4) in a battle of former Chuo University wrestlers, boosting his record to 5-3.

Earlier, Tochinohana, making his debut in sumo's top makuuchi division as a No. 12 maegashira, bumped out seventh-ranked Takanowaka (4-4) to nail down his seventh win.

Meanwhile, komusubi Takatoriki, the surprise winner in Osaka, continued his lackluster form, dropping to 2-6 after bending the knee to top-ranked maegashira Tochinonada (3-5).

No. 4 maegashira Kyokushuzan shot himself in the foot as he went airborne at the face-off, only for second-ranked Hamanoshima (2-6) to quickly bump the Mongolian out to his seventh loss of the meet once he had landed.

Compatriot Kyokutenho, a No. 6 maegashira, fared little better as he was bundled out by seventh-ranked veteran Akinoshima (5-3) and left the arena nursing a 3-5 record.

Results

Results of main bouts on 8th day of summer sumo tourney

TOKYO, May 14 (Kyodo) -- Results of makuuchi division bouts on Sunday, the eighth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won -- Technique -- Lost
+Tamamisakari 7-1 -- sukuinage -- Jumonji 4-4
+Otsukasa 4-4 -- oshidashi -- Aogiyama 3-5
Terao 3-5 -- oshidashi -- Asanosho 0-8
Shikishima 4-4 -- kotenage -- Hayateumi 5-3
Higonoumi 4-4 -- tsukiotoshi -- Kinkaiyama 2-6
Kotonowaka 6-2 -- oshidashi -- Toki 6-2
Tochinohana 7-1 -- yorikiri -- Takanowaka 4-4
Akinoshima 5-3 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 3-5
Tokitsuumi 4-4 -- yorikiri -- Kaiho 2-6
Chiyotenzan 3-5 -- tsukiotoshi -- Daizen 1-7
Hamanoshima 2-6 -- yorikiri -- Kyokushuzan 1-7
Wakanoyama 2-6 -- oshidashi -- Asanowaka 2-6
Tosanoumi 5-3 -- yorikiri -- Kotoryu 6-2
Tochinonada 3-5 -- yorikiri -- Takatoriki 2-6
Dejima 5-3 -- yorikiri -- Tamakasuga 4-4
Kaio 7-1 -- yorikiri -- Takanonami 5-3
Chiyotaikai 6-2 -- okuridashi -- Miyabiyama 5-3
Akebono 7-1 -- oshitaoshi -- Oginishiki 3-5
Takanohana 7-1 -- tsukiotoshi -- Tochiazuma 5-3

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Results in Scoreboard

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