Hollywood is set to arrive in SW19, with the biggest names in tennis coming off the courts and on to the streets to help out Wimbledon businesses.

A ‘walk of fame’, featuring pavement plaques with the hand or footprints and signatures of the sport’s greatest players, will be installed between Wimbledon railway station and the All England Club in Church Road.

They will be the star attraction on the Wimbledon Way - a route highlighted on visitor maps and designed to encourage tennis fans to walk past Wimbledon’s shops, restaurants and bars on their way to the Championships rather than taking back streets.

The plan has been drawn up by the Merton Chamber of Commerce, which has launched its Going for Gold campaign to promote Wimbledon ahead of its appearance as an Olympic venue in 2012.

Rev Andrew Wakefield, chair of the chamber, said: “There’s a lot of buzz about British tennis, with Murray and Robson, at the moment.”

He said he hoped top players would personally unveil their own plaques in the weeks leading up to the tournament, and the route would draw in year-round visitors to the club’s tennis museum.

Amy Holton, manager of High Street homeware shop Cath Kidson, described the scheme as “a great idea” and added visitors to Wimbledon often did not link its two area together. She said: “A lot of people in the village ask where the town is, and vice versa.”

The route will be given more publicity when it is marked on new signs set to be put up in the area by Merton Council.

Rev Wakefield said local organisations like the Wimbledon College of Art would be invited to help design more markings for the route. He said it would be promoted at this year’s championship, although it was unlikely any plaques would be in place by then.

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