Hakuho triumphs again

His opening-day defeat seemingly a minor blip, Hakuho chased out top-ranked maegashira Takayasu to post his second straight win at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday.

The Mongolian yokozuna, who started a meet with a defeat for the first time since the 2008 Kyushu Basho in losing to Aminishiki on Sunday, was rarely in danger in the day's finale, thrusting a defensive Takayasu (0-3) back out of the dohyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku were among the early leaders at 3-0 at sumo's second rank of ozeki.

Five out of six ozeki, including Kakuryu, won, with Bulgarian Kotooshu the day's only major casualty in a narrow defeat to third-ranked maegashira Toyohibiki.

Baruto was never in any danger of failing to post his third win, the Estonian giant quickly chasing second-ranked maegashira Myogiryu (1-2) over the straw bales to keep a clean slate.

Harumafuji (2-1), sporting a black eye after taking a poke on the opening day Sunday in his bout against Homasho, put on a clinical display to oust top-ranked Russian Aran (0-3) and Kakuryu (2-1) handed sekiwake Goeido his first loss of the tournament.

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