Rank-and-filer Sakaizawa withdrew from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday because of a knee injury. Sakaizawa hurt his left knee in a defeat to Kakizoe on Saturday, the seventh day of the 15-day meet at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. It was the 15th-ranked maegashira's fourth loss. Sakaizawa, wrestling in his first tournament in sumo's elite makuuchi division, has pulled out of a meet for the first time since last year's Nagoya basho. He forfeits Sunday's scheduled bout with Toyohibiki. The 24-year-old joined sumo's top flight just 12 tournaments since making his professional debut, the second fastest rise to the makuuchi division since the establishment of the six-tournament system in 1958.
