Baseball: Ichiro felt 'mental stress' last year

Japan's greatest baseball export Ichiro Suzuki has confessed to feeling "mental stress" last year after seeing his record streak of 200-hit seasons snapped at 10. The Seattle Mariners outfielder told local media he was struggling to find reasons for a drop in form which triggered some serious soul-searching for the 38-year-old. "I felt desperate last season," Suzuki told the Nikkan Sports newspaper. "That doesn't happen to me very often. Mental stress is a lot worse than physical stress." Suzuki has taken Major League Baseball by storm since leaving Japan in 2001, laying claim to being the country's greatest athlete in any sport. (Reuters)