| PRECEDE | Anticipate page referring to fancied player, we hear |
| CEDES | Gives way to fancied players, we hear (5) |
| SECEDE | Withdraw from southeast fancied player, we hear |
| CEDE | Top player, we hear, is to give way |
| EXCEED | Former top tennis player, we hear, to go over the top (6) |
| CONCERTPIANIST | Key player, we hear (7,7) |
| CONCEDE | Give up trick with top player, we hear (7) |
| CEDED | Surrendered like a good tennis player, we hear |
| CHEETAH | Fast runner, but bad player, we hear |
| SUPERCEDE | Replace top tennis player, we hear (9) |
| HOOKAH | Pipe for the rugby player, we hear (6) |
| KINGFISHER | Flier featuring chess piece and chess player, we hear? |
| CEDING | Giving up selecting the best players, we hear |
| GOFOR | Like game with group of bridge players, we hear (2,3) |
| TEEM | Come down heavy on the players, we hear (4) |
| SEED | Strongly fancied player to give up, so I hear (4) |
| MAEWEST | Famous player we succeeded to bring into side from south (3,4) |
| SEEDLESS | Fancied player wants smaller type of grapes (8) |
| SEABED | Main floor, where sailor stops fancied player (6) |
| CREEPYCRAWLY | Bug? It's caught by poor player, we cry (6-6) |
