No 13417, Thursday 02 Dec 2021, Sunnet

Solution to 22D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Hit and walked out (6) STRUCK [DD]

4   Walk across to smash top serve (4,4) STEP OVER*

10 Some quit dancing after acquiring some sprains and twists (9) MISQUOTES {SOME+QUIT+Sp...s}*

11 Improve a meeting (5) RALLY [DD]

12 Beer with a drop of orange (5) POINT {P{Or...e}INT} Definition?

13 Engraver’s dash does not start at the origin (5-4)  PRINT-HEAD {sPRINT}{HEAD}

14 May possibly become disheartened and leave an insect (4-3) MOTH-FLY {MOnTH}{FLY}

16 Publication returned to England’s match (4) GAME {MAG<=}{E}

19 Rule on new grass (4) LAWN {LAW}{N}

21 Pain ruptured around the receding furrow (7) TORTURE {TOR{RUT<=}E}

24 Killing performance (9) EXECUTION [DD]

25 Devil’s two (5) DEUCE [DD]

26 Help! Verse is jumbled (5) SERVE*

27 Perhaps coconut oil to freshen and to massage chin outside (4,5) HAIR TONIC {H{AIR}{TO}NIC*}

28 A tragedy perhaps to give society’s publicity materials to a British politician (3,5) SAD STORY {S}{ADS}{TORY}

29 Pedals clearly cool e-books on the margins (6) CYCLES {Cl...lY}{CooL}{Eb..kS}

DOWN

1   Waste water remover mostly adds to hesitation in public-private partnership (4,4) SUMP PUMP  {SUMs}{PP{UM}P}

2   Reed’s elected to act carelessly (4,4) RUSH INTO {RUSH}{IN}{TO}

3   Forum to woo (5) COURT [DD]

5   Difficult examination in Germany (7) TESTING {TEST}{IN}{G}

6   Office clock is one that works occasionally (4-5) PART-TIMER {PART}{TIMER}

7   Hollow ball replaces a shower (6) VOLLEY V(-a+o)OLLEY

8   Worried Ray hid the capital (6) RIYADH*

9   Opts to change before visit (4,2) STOP BY {OPTS}*{BY}

15 Apartment you furnished is pretentious (9) FLATULENT {FLAT}{U}{LENT}

17 A mutual arrangement covering some nitty-gritties of the fall (8) AUTUMNAL {A}{UTUM{Ni...s}AL*}

18 Shield from French receiver (8) DEFENCES {DE}{FENCES}

20 Nor’s partner in ‘Crime Central’ is captured by underworld (7) NEITHER {NE{crIme}THER}

21 16 of Courier? Wrong web withdrawal (6) TENNIS {SIN}{NET}<=

22 Straps to capture small creatures (6) ?E?S?S (Addendum - BEASTS {BEA{S}TS} - See cooments)

23 Mocked ruddy entrance exam initially (6) JEERED {RED}<=>{JEE}

25 Silly to use 12 unknown numbers (5) DITZY {DIT}{Z}{Y}

Reference List

England = E, New = N, Society = S, Germany = G, From in French = DE, Small = S, Entrance exam = JEE, Unknown numbers = Y,Z

GRID SAME AS YESTERDAY

TalePiece

By Dr RKE

6th July 2008: Let us STOP BY at the All England LAWN TENNIS and Croquet Club, which is hosting its Mens’ Singles Final GAME at Wimbledon. It is a TESTING time for the ground staff to deal with the vagaries of the English weather. Although it is summer, there has been an almost AUTUMNAL rain at night and they have had to use SUMP PUMPS to drain out the water from the outfields of the Centre COURT. You know, it was before the retractable roof was installed for this only grass venue where Grand Slam events are held. NEITHER Rafael Nadal nor Roger Federer is sure which of them is going to script tennis history when they STEP OVER the portals of this hallowed ground. FedEx has won the 3 previous occasions here against Rafa, but has just lost to him in The French Open the previous month.

The SAD STORY is that both the champs are not in their best physical condition. Federer is recovering from the infectious mononucleosis that he contracted probably at the RIYADH airport, while he was on his way to the Dubai Tennis Championships a few months back. Nadal is TORTUREd by pain in his injured left foot. But, once on the ground, they are like charging BEASTS. The powerful SERVE of Rafa wins him the first 2 sets 6-4, 6-4. Wearing down his rival with an epic RALLY, Federer springs back winning the next two sets 7-6, 7-6 saving two championship POINTs in that historic fourth set tiebreak. The crowd which sat with a bated breath let out a collective gasp as Federer VOLLEYs with a power-packed forehand from the baseline to win the tiebreak. How the DEUCE  he manages to do that against the powerful stroke from Nadal is something only Federer and his Maker will know.

Rain plays spoilsport at this juncture and the game is held up for 30 minutes. The crowd which JEERED restlessly during the interruption is once again quiet as the players RUSH INTO the ground in fading light for the final set. STRUCK with brute force but with pin-point precision by Federer, the ball breaks the DEFENCES of Nadal and Federer comes to within two points for his sixth consecutive win at this most prestigious venue.  The deft EXECUTION of breaking FedEx’s serve in the 15th game of the final set is the turning point. The younger Nadal wins with an unbelievable 9-7 in near darkness at 9.15pm, in the longest final that lasted more than 4 ½ hours. The CYCLES of win and loss will no doubt continue for these fabled opponents.