Crossword Genius

Player needing room is first to tackle (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cellist

'player' is the definition.
(cellist is a kind of player)

'room is first to tackle' is the wordplay.
'room' becomes 'cell' (cell is a kind of room).
'first to' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'tackle' is 't'.
'cell'+'is'+'t'='CELLIST'

'needing' is the link.

(Other definitions for cellist that I've seen before include "Musician in string section" , "E.g. Casals, du Pre" , "String player" , "Lloyd Webber?" , "Du Pre or Lloyd Weber" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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