A tennis ball signed by Fred Perry and Andy Murray is up for grabs.
It is the only tennis ball signed by the last two British men's Wimbledon champions, and has been consigned by Murray himself.
 77 years separated Perry's last Wimbledon win and Murray's first (and only?)... |
Andy Murray's victory in 2013 came 77 years after Perry's third and final triumph, in 1936.
The ball will not go to the highest bidder. It is instead being raffled, with proceeds going to the St James and St Peter Hospice in Sussex, UK.
The ball's former owner, Gail Sargent, was a resident at the hospice as she battled cancer.
In 1994 she got Perry to sign three white tennis balls. In 2005, Sargent, who died in 2010, gave the balls to Murray after being impressed by his growing talents.
"I am incredibly grateful to Gail for the gift she gave me all those years ago, it didn't seem right to just keep them hidden away," says Murray.
"So many people are touched by cancer, so I'm really hoping we can raise a lot of money with this raffle."
Entries are £1, with the winner announced on July 12, the day of the Wimbledon final.
The winner will have got themselves a nice bargain.
Perry's autograph is worth around £25 ($38), while Murray's signature on a tennis ball is valued at £15 ($23).
Yet combining the two in this unique way will give the ball a value worth far more than the sum of its parts, in our opinion.
Fred Perry, the first player to achieve a career grand slam, died in 1995.
The second ball is going on display at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum from June 23. The third ball will remain with Murray.
Click here to buy your raffle ticket.
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