Hakuho unsettled Kotoshogiku with a kotenage for the first losing streak longer than two bouts in more than a year for the shin-ozeki. The yusho race is all but over in Hakuho's favour as the other pursuer Wakakoyu lost too to open up a three win lead with three days to go. The suspense for the rest of the basho lies in the ozeki promotion race for Kisenosato is moved up to 9-3 with a win over Gagamaru. The other two Georgian rikishi in makuuchi (or all divisions as all three Ozumo Georgians are in makuuchi) lost too for a really bad aggregate record of 4-32, and I'm tempted to combine them with Russian Aran who henka'ed Goeido for the second win this basho.
Tochinowaka beat Okinoumi with yoritaoshi and this win might be decisive to gain him the open sanyaku slot as he is up to 7-5 with Okinoumi down to 5-7 and all other joi-jin except Goeido already make-koshi. There will be only one new sanyaku as Kakuryu and Toyonoshima clinched kachi-koshi today.
Ikioi and his pursuer Yoshiazuma won today while Kyokushuho lost against Tokushoryu to make it a two rikishi competition for the yusho with them meeting already tomorrow. At opposite ends of the juryo banzuke the two contenders had quite different opponents so far with only Tosayutaka in common as Yoshiazuma had no opponent lower than J6e and Ikioi only one higher then J9e. Two shin-sekitori are kachi-koshi already and the third is getting close as Asahisho beat Hochiyama in a good bout for his seventh win.
Doitsuyama (sumoforum)
