Dementieva finds lessons in sumo
Dementieva finds lessons in sumo 
From correspondents in Tokyo
Former Australian Captain January 31, 2007
TENNIS players may seem to be the opposite of sumo players in their physique, but Elena Dementieva says that the Japanese wrestlers can also be graceful.
The defending champion and three competitors in the Pan Pacific Open tournament enjoyed their day off Wednesday by watching Japan’s traditional sport at the stable of grand champion Asashoryu.
Dementieva
said she had an interest in sumo after watching the sport several times on television and wanted to see it live.
“I had a wonderful and unique experience that I had never had before,” said the 25-year-old Russian.
“I was surprised. Not only sumo wrestlers are huge but also they are lithe in build.”
Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic said that sumo could offer pointers for the tennis players.
“I was very surprised to see the unique culture that is so different from that of my country. This experience is helpful to my playing tennis, such as the operation of play and strategy,” she said.
France’s Severine Bremond said she was impressed by the sumo wrestlers’ mental and physical strength.
“I was surprised that sumo wrestlers are gigantic. However, the most surprising thing is that a bigger sumo wrestler does not always win. I saw a small sumo wrestler throw a big one,” she said.
Despite being in Asashoryu’s stable, the Mongolian grand champion did not show up himself.
Asashoryu, the most successful sumo wrestler of the modern era, was questioned this week as part of a probe into alleged match-fixing. He has strongly denied the charges.
AAP