| HAMPTONCOURT | Palace caught out rearranging cup match, or not? (7,5) |
| FINALDEMANDS | Last orders, requirements for cup match (5,7) |
| BOUT | A curve in the side of a guitar or violin; a boxing/wrestling match; or, a period, stint or turn of something, such as drinking or ill health (4) |
| STEWARD | Official in charge of a match or race; a male flight attendant; or, a person employed to look after a large house, farm or estate (7) |
| HEAD | The flattened or rounded end of a nail, pin or match; or, the membrane of a drum (4) |
| DEADLOCK | Bolt requiring a key to both open and close it; or, an impasse, stalemate, standstill or tie in a game, match or in life generally (8) |
| BENEFIT | A match or performance whose proceeds usually go to a player or cause (7) |
| MATE | Match, or end of a chess match |
| DOWNS | Start of golf tournament, boxing match or cup competition! (5,5) |
| FIRST | Start of golf tournament, boxing match or cup competition! (5,5) |
| ROUND | Start of golf tournament, boxing match or cup competition! (5,5) |
| OPENER | Utensil for removing a crown cap from a bottle or a lid from a tin; first goal in a match; or, a comment used to start a conversation (6) |
| CLEANSWEEP | An instance of conceding no goals or points in a match or competition (5,5) |
| PRELIM | Earlier match or round, short-style |
| SAFETY | Type of match or valve (6) |
| GOABOUT | Leave a boxing match or circulate |
| NONPAREIL | Having no match or equal (9) |
| EMULATE | To try to equal, match or excel |
| EMULATION | Act of attempting to match or surpass |
| ATTESTOR | Attending the big match or he'll swear! |
