Sportsman that's ninety leaps off shortened run (6,6)
I believe the answer is:
tennis player
'sportsman' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'ninety leaps off shortened run' is the wordplay.
'off' indicates anagramming the letters.
'shortened' says to take the initial letters.
The first letter of 'run' is 'r'.
'ninety'+'leaps'='ninetyleaps'
'ninetyleaps' is an anagram of 'tennisplaye'.
'tennisplaye'+'r'='TENNIS-PLAYER'
'that's' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for tennis player that I've seen is " racketeer revealed?".)