Grand champions Asashoryu and Hakuho both registered ninth victories to turn the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament into a two-horse race Tuesday after Estonian sekiwake Baruto's winning streak ended with a surprise defeat to Toyonoshima.

After grabbing the limelight with convincing wins over Hakuho and four ozeki, Baruto (8-2) finally came a cropper and squandered his share of the lead after losing his balance and allowing top-ranked maegashira Toyonoshima (4-6) to bundle him out at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Baruto admitted after Monday's win over Kotooshu that the pressure was starting to take its toll. With Asashoryu up next, the towering sekiwake will now need to produce something special to stand a realistic chance of becoming only the second European grappler to win the Emperor's Cup.

His defeat to Baruto well behind him, Hakuho put on another sumo clinic and had little trouble in railroading komusubi Kotoshogiku (4- 6) before Asashoryu underlined his title credentials in the day's finale.

Asashoryu was onto Takekaze's belt like grease lightning and the 24- time Emperor's Cup winner was never in danger from that point onward, comfortably shunting the No. 4 maegashira out to the sixth loss.

Baruto shares second place with rank-and-filers Aminshiki and Hakuba, who posted wins over Aran (7-3) and Kitataiki (7-3), respectively.

In an all-ozeki match-up, Kaio escaped Harumafuji's clutches and slapped the Mongolian down for a sixth win. Harumafuji dropped to 7-3.

Kotooshu's (7-3) title hopes took another hit when fifth-ranked Yoshikaze sent the Bulgarian ozeki packing amid a hailstorm of slaps and thrusts to move to 5-5. "I don't really remember too much about the bout but I am glad I won," said Yoshikaze. "I could hear the fans cheering as I started to move forward and knew I just had to keep on going."

Mongolian komusubi Kakuryu dropped to 4-6 after being slapped down by second-ranked Goeido (5-5).

Earlier in the day, Mongolian-born No. 8 maegashira Tokitenku pulled out of the tourney with a dislocated toe. Tokitenku suffered the injury to his big right toe in his win over seventh-ranked Tamawashi on Monday. The 30-year-old forfeited his bout against Mokonami (4-6).