Tochiazuma, Chiyotaikai,
Kotomitsuki share lead at 9-0

TOKYO (AP) - Tochiazuma remained undefeated at 9-0 and shared the lead with fellow ozeki (champion) Chiyotaikai and sekiwake (junior champion) Kotomitsuki on Monday, the ninth day of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

Their closest rivals at 7-2 were two wrestlers - No. 7 maegashira (senior wrestler) Tosanoumi and No. 13 maegashira Hamanoshima.

Wrestling before 11,000 spectators at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena, newly promoted Tochiazuma, seeking his first tournament victory, overpowered No. 2 maegashira Toki, using hand thrusts to send him out. It was Toki's his seventh defeat against two victories.

Chiyotakai charged No. 3 maegashira Takanonami with a series of hand thrusts against his foe's throat and bulldozed him out, leaving Takanonami at 5-4.

In the day's final bout, Kotomitsuki grabbed ozeki Kaio's belt quickly, fought off Kaio's hand-throw attempts and took him down, handing Kaio his third defeat against six victories.

Ozeki Musoyama shoved out No. 4 maegashira Chiyotenzan to improve his record to 6-3. Chiyotenzan is 3-6.

Tosanoumi forced out No. 14 maegashira Tochisakae, and Hamanishiki pushed out No. 6 maegashira Tochinonada. Both Tochisakae and Tochinonada are 6-3.

In other major bouts, sekiwake Asashoryu, or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadri, fought off newly promoted komusubi (junior champion second class) Wakanosato's driving attempts and downed him by using a leg trick, leaving both wrestlers at 5-4.

Komusubi Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, slapped down No. 1 maegashira Akinoshima. Both wrestlers are 2-7.

No. 1 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayer Davaa, pulled down No. 2 maegashira Tamanoshima for his third victory against six defeats. Tamanoshima is 1-8.

No. 3-ranked Shimotori of the juryo division threw down No. 15 maegashira Sentoryu for his seventh victory against two defeats. Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller of St. Louis, Missouri, is 3-6.

In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 5-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, suffered his fourth defeat against five victories, losing to No. 8-ranked Minatofuji (6-3) by an arm throw.

RESULTS

TOKYO, Jan. 21 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts for Monday, the ninth day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ indicates juryo-division wrestler):

Won	Technique	Lost
+Shimotori 7-2	uwatenage	Sentoryu 3-6
Jumonji 4-5	kotenage	Oikari 4-5
Tokitsuumi 6-3	oshidashi	Aminishiki 5-4
Asanowaka 2-7	hatakikomi	Kobo 1-8
Tamakasuga 6-3	sukuinage	Oginishiki 5-4
Daizen 5-4	okuridashi	Wakanoyama 3-6
Otsukasa 4-5	tsukiotoshi	Tamarikido 2-7
Tosanoumi 7-2	tsukidashi	Tochisakae 6-3
Hamanishiki 7-2	oshidashi	Tochinonada 6-3
Kotonowaka 4-5	yorikiri	Buyuzan 5-4
Dejima 4-5	yoritaoshi	Kaiho 2-7
Kyokushuzan 3-6	okurihikiotoshi	Tamanoshima 1-8
Kyokutenho 2-7	hatakikomi	Akinoshima 2-7
Asashoryu 5-4	sotogake	Wakanosato 5-4
Tochiazuma 9-0	tsukidashi	Toki 2-7
Chiyotaikai 9-0	oshidashi	Takanonami 5-4
Musoyama 6-3	oshidashi	Chiyotenzan 3-6
Kotomitsuki 9-0	yorikiri	Kaio 6-3

Tuesday's bouts

+Kitazakura x - x Asanowaka
Tokitsuumi 2 - 0 Tochisakae
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Tamarikido
Tamakasuga 2 - 2 Jumonji
Sentoryu 0 - 0 Kobo
Buyuzan 1 - 0 Hamanishiki
Oginishiki 7 - 3 Daizen
Oikari 0 - 0 Otsukasa
Aminishiki 0 - 2 Kotonowaka
Tosanoumi 8 - 21 Takanonami
Tamanoshima 1 - 0 Toki
Kyokushuzan 9 - 6 Akinoshima
Wakanosato 2 - 1 Kyokutenho
Kotomitsuki 5 - 2 Tochinonada
Kaio 4 - 0 Chiyotenzan
Dejima 7 - 14 Tochiazuma
Chiyotaikai 1 - 0 Kaiho
Asashoryu 2 - 2 Musoyama

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