In other news Wimbeldon fortnight has just begun...............so let's go retro for this recap and honour the best players of yesteryear
Bjorn Borg the ice cool Swede and one of the best players in the world won an amazing 11 grandslams in his career, he won Wimbledon five consecutive times from 1976-1980 but lost the title to his rival John McEnroe in 1981 then retired from tennis in 1982
And here is the man himself John Mcenroe winning Wimbledon in 1981 ending the 5 year dominance and stranglehold of Bjorn Borg, he is well known for his on court temper tantrums and altercations with umpries and line judges his famous quote " You cannot be serious man ! You cannot be serious ! after his meltdown in the 1981 final that he went on to win. He won an amazing seven grandslams in the singles and 57 doubles titles with his partner Peter Fleming before retiring from the sport in 1992. After tennis he went on to be a successful commentator and broadcaster regularly covering the fornightly Wimbeldon tournament.
One of the most unlikely winners the flying Dutchman Richard Krajicek who won the tournament in 1996 his only Grandslam win and the first man to end the dominance of Pete Sampras who won the title in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The second person to end the Sampras dominance in 2001 was eight time champion and former world number one Roger Federer.
Martina Navratilova who has won an amazing nine Wimbledon titles a record that still stands to this day, she has won an amazing 18 grandslams as a singles player but had success as a doubles player partnering Pam Shriver she went on to win 31 grandslams as a doubles and 10 of those as a mixed doubles after her retirement in 1994 in singles and retired in 2006 from doubles, she had a rivalry with Chris Evert and Steffi Graf. She now works for the BBC as a commentator and pundit for the Ladies Wimbledon.
And here is the eighteen times grandslam winner Chris Evert she has won Wimbeldon an amazing three times her last win was in 1981 was against Hana Mandlíková, since her retirement in 1989 and depsite her fierce rivalry with Martina Navratilova whilst on the tour after their respective retirements they are good friends
Last but not least Virginia Wade won the Ladies Championships in 1977 the year of Queen's silver Jubilee she went on win to further Grandslams two more in the singles events and four in the doubles. Since 1981 while she was still playing, Wade has been a reporter on tennis events for the BBC. In 1982 she became the first woman to be elected to the Wimbledon Committee. After her retirement in 1985 she became an OBE in 1985 and a CBE in 2025 for charity work and service to lawn tennis.
C1: Champion Mel Smith (3 wins, 235 points.)
C2: Challenger Shemina Kirby.
DC: Susie Dent and Neil Delamere.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N S U E B R S A E
R02: R N L A I E T Q I
R03: 100, 4, 5, 4, 2, 7, . Target: 842.
TTT: DEEPEXIT - " Hurry to get things moving in the kitchen"
R04: S T P O E O S G E
R05: M R O E T D O J D
R06: 50, 9, 2, 4, 5, 10. Target: 175.
R07: N T A I R V E S O
R08: L N R U O I F D E
R09: 25, 100, 1, 8, 4, 9. Target: 176.
TTT: CORERAGE - "Busy all the time; it's just one meeting after another"
R10: T S P A E O C T E
R11: H C A E S Y I T M
R12: P H S A U A G W O
R13: N L I O W G C I M
R14: 25, 2, 3, 3, 10, 4, . Target: 844.
R15: H I S A C C E N T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: N S U E B R S A E
Mel: BRASS (5)
Shemina: SABRES (6)
DC: BARENESS (8)
Score: 0–6 (max 8)
Round 2: R N L A I E T Q I
Mel: ANTLER (6)
Shemina: LATRINE (7)
DC: INERTIAL (8)
Score: 0–13 (max 16)
Round 3: 100, 4, 5, 4, 2, 7. Target: 842.
C1: 837.
C2: 842. ((100 + 5) × (4 + 4)) + 2 (10)
Score: 0–23 (max 26)
Teatime teaser: DEEPEXIT -> EXPEDITE
Round 4: S T P O E O S G E
Mel: goosestep
Shemina: STOOGES (7)
DC: STOOGES (7)
OT: POETESS (7) SPOOGES (7)
Score: 0–30 (max 33)
Round 5: M R O E T D O J D
Mel: MOTORED (7)
Shemina: ROOMED (6)
DC: DOOMED (6)
Score: 7–30 (max 40)
Round 6: 50, 9, 2, 4, 5, 10. Target: 175.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 175. ((9 + 5) × 50) ÷ 4 (10)
Score: 7–30 (max 50)
Round 7: N T A I R V E S O
Mel: VERSION (7)
Shemina: NOTARIES (8)
DC: AVERSION (8)
OT: INVESTOR (8) NOTARISE (8) VENATORS (8) VOTARIES (8)
Score: 7–38 (max 58)
Round 8: L N R U O I F D E
Mel: FLOUNDER (8)
Shemina: FLOURED (7)
DC: FLOUNDER (8) FLUORIDE (8)
OT: FLUORINE (8) URNFIELD (8)
Score: 15–38 (max 66)
Round 9: 25, 100, 1, 8, 4, 9. Target: 176.
C1: 176. ((8 ÷ 4) × 100) − 25 + 1 (10)
C2: 176. ((8 − (9 − 4)) × 25) + 100 + 1 (10)
Score: 25–48 (max 76)
Teatime teaser: CORERAGE -> RACEGOER
Round 10: T S P A E O C T E
Mel: TEAPOTS (7)
Shemina: TEAPOTS (7)
DC: SPECTATE (8)
Score: 32–55 (max 84)
Round 11: H C A E S Y I T M
Mel: MATCHES (7)
Shemina: MATCHES (7)
DC: CHEMIST (7) CHASTE (6)
OT: MISTEACH (8) TACHISME (8) YACHTIES (8)
Score: 39–62 (max 92)
Round 12: P H S A U A G W O
Mel: AWASH (5)
Shemina: washup
DC: PASHA (5)
OT: WHAUPS (6)
Score: 44–62 (max 98)
Round 13: N L I O W G C I M
Mel: COWLING (7)
Shemina: COWLING (7)
DC: COWLING (7) MOILING (7)
OT: COILING (7)
Score: 51–69 (max 105)
Round 14: 25, 2, 3, 3, 10, 4. Target: 844.
C1: -
C2: 846. Mistake in working.
RR: 844. (((10 × 3) + 4) × 25) − (3 × 2) (10)
Score: 51–69 (max 115)
Round 15: H I S A C C E N T
No one buzzes. The answer was CHANCIEST.
Final Score: 51–69 (max 125)