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Asashoryu remains unbeaten as spring tournament warms

Grand champion Asashoryu easily overpowered Roho yesterday to stay tied for the lead at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

In the day's final bout at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, the Mongolian yokozuna quickly secured Roho by the belt and up-ended the Russian komusubi at center ring to improve to 7-0, tied with compatriot Hakuho.

Asashoryu is the sole grand champion competing in sumo. He won all six tournaments last year but missed out on the Emperor's Cup at the New Year tourney.

Sekiwake Hakuho, who is gunning for promotion to ozeki, stayed tied for the lead at 7-0 after deflecting a series of arm thrusts from Kokkai and pushing out the Georgia-born maegashira.

The win puts Hakuho well on his way to securing the 13 wins he would need to move up the ranks. Kokkai dropped to 2-5.

Sekiwake Kotomitsuki stayed one win off the pace at 6-1 when he got both arms around Hokutoriki and drove the maegashira out to his third loss of the tournament.

Ozeki Kotooshu fought back to victory -- after being pushed to the straw ridge by Dejima, he grabbed his opponent for a left-handed arm thrown to the dirt. The Bulgarian picked up his fifth win against a pair of losses, while Dejima fell to 4-3.

In one of the day's upsets, ozeki Tochiazuma, who won the New Year tourney, was thrown off balance by a flurry of arm thrusts to the neck by komusubi and quickly dumped to the ground.

The loss ups the pressure on Tochiazuma, who dropped to 5-2 and needs least 12 wins to be considered for sumo's top rank.
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