£48k for Wimbo places

WIMBLEDON men’s final tickets have hit £48,000-a-pair as Murraymania triggers the highest-ever prices this early in the tournament.

eBay’s StubHub is selling the seats for 126 times the price of a pair of £190 standard Centre Court final tickets.

The previous record price at this stage of the tournament was £40,630-a-pair, set last year.

The seats are debenture season tickets, which cost more per day than standard admission. Superfan Stuart Bere, 42, a civil servant from Lincolnshire, who has queued at every Wimbledon for 25 years, said: “Debenture ticket holders are cashing in with wild prices which genuine fans cannot afford.

“Wimbledon should change the rules and ban those who resell their debenture tickets rather than use them.”

An All England Club spokesman said: “Debenture tickets are tradeable and so allowed to be resold.”

Meanwhile, demand for seats at tomorrow’s “Mega Monday” is so high that fans began queueing yesterday – 40 hours before 500 on-the-gate tickets become available. Supporters pitched tents straight after the end of yesterday’s play to bag entry to Wimbledon, in the hope of seeing Andy Murray and fellow Brit Johanna Konta in action.

Julia Stevens, 26, from Essex, said: “With both Murray and Konta potential champions, Monday is the biggest day for British men’s and women’s tennis for years.

“It’s well worth two nights in a tent. I queued for Saturday but, along with many others, was going to run back to the campsite straight after play to get my spot in the queue for Monday.” Murray plays Frenchman Benoit Paire, while women’s No.6 seed Konta plays No.21 seed Caroline Garcia of France.

The last time Britain had a man and woman in the fourth round was in 2013, with Murray and Laura Robson.