ATP, Federer, Roddick, Hewitt Auction Racquets for Tsunami Relief

Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt have banded together to raise money for the tsunami relief effort by auctioning autographed match racquets.

The Wilson, Babolat and Yonex racquets used and autographed by Federer, Roddick and Hewitt respectively will be mounted together in one framed presentation case. The item will be accompanied by an ATP letter of authenticity.

Bidding on this unique piece of tennis memorabilia runs through Friday, Jan. 28 (5 p.m EDT in Australia, 6 a.m. GMT in Europe and 1 a.m. ET in the U.S.). Tennis fans can place their bids at ATPtennis.com.

The item had an opening bid of AUD $10,000 (USD $7,560, 5,800 Euro). A currency converter on the site will allow for easy conversion of AUD to USD, Euro and other required currencies.

Brad Drewett, ATP Managing Director, International Region, said: "To have the autographed match racquets of the world's top three players auctioned as one lot is truly a unique piece of tennis memorabilia. The ATP and its players and tournaments have implemented a number of fundraising initiatives to benefit tsunami victims and this auction will be another meaningful contribution to UNICEF's relief effort."

IMG eCommerce will host and administer the auction site, waiving its usual fee.

Shortly after the disaster, the ATP and its premium partner Mercedes-Benz pledged USD $40,000 to the relief efforts. A charity auction at the Chennai Open raised $23,000 for the Chief Minister Relief funds, set up by the local State Government of Tamil Nadu. Many players donated prize money to the relief effort, including Chennai champion Carlos Moya, who gave his winner's check. ATP tournaments in Australia also are participating in "Gold Coin Day," a cooperative effort between ATP, UNICEF, Tennis Australia, ITF, and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.