Crossbar No 1497

Across

2 and 6 Italian star winning the

Australian Open title (6,6)

4 Start to join up to perform in

unarmed combat (4)

6 See 2 across

9 Is keen to take part in a

badminton match (4)

11 Let an African party in to get a

surgical instrument (6)

14 Did a Dundee United back start with a new sound track? (3)

15 Pull things along in Tottenham, Oldham and Wolves, initially (3)

16 Concur with a southern

European being cut short (5) 17 Go back, about to meet a

monster (4)

18 May attack, but has to pay

for it (6)

20 Prevent action inside

terminal (5)

21 After 15 across, had little hesitation getting to a high building (5)

22 A member appearing, at some

stage (3)

24 Some sailors started at Ayr,

Brechin and Stranraer (3)

26 Heads off in Edinburgh, Exeter and Leeds to catch fish (3)

27 Hebridean place where there was more than enough whisky, say (6)

28 A runner managed to get to

an island venue (5)

29 Arranged timeless credit for

an apple-based drink (5)

30 On the first day, showers then

draws off the water (6)

31 Ran off at speed with a pointed weapon in a local game (4)

32 Popular team for those in the

know, as it were (6)

33 Reds turned up with a series

of studies (5)

Down

1 Official warning on the field of

play (6,4)

3 Venue in north-west England

that hosts a national event (7) 5 Former Kent and England star

kept below with a golf club (9) 6 Turned informer, for instance

(4)

7 Recent passion shown by a

test-playing nation (3,7)

8 It’s correct to support a

defender on the pitch (6-4) 10 One keeping an eye on the

state of play, on paper (8)

12 Old star on the track got a

small firm, at the end (3)

13 Give some support from

branded wear (3)

18 Cliff, say, got little credit for a

top general (4)

19 Tackle 16 across, lacking

energy it turns out (4)

22 Find out about renal failure

(5)

23 Did a little girl manage to rig

one up, in the end? (4)

25 Sidle up to one on the way

down (5)