Varalee "Sandy" Sureephong (born May 2, 1976) is an American former professional tennis player.

Sandy Sureephong
Full nameVaralee Sureephong Blanton
Country (sports) United States
Born (1976-05-02) May 2, 1976 (age 47)
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
Prize money$22,020
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 368 (August 7, 1995)
Doubles
Career titles6 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 158 (October 17, 1994)
Grand Slam doubles results
WimbledonQ1 (1994)

Biography edit

Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Sureephong is of Thai descent and was raised in Baltimore, then later Haines City, Florida. She has been known by "Sandy" since childhood, a nickname which her parents gave her.[1]

Sureephong was a four-time All-American tennis player at the University of Texas, which she attended from 1995 to 1999. She was twice named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.[2]

On the professional tour she reached a best singles ranking of 368 and was ranked as high as 158 in the world for doubles. She competed in four WTA Tour main draws in doubles and was most successful in partnership with Canada's Vanessa Webb, with whom she won four of her six ITF doubles titles. The pair featured in the qualifying draw for the 1994 Wimbledon Championships.[3]

Her husband is former Chicago Bulls basketball player Ricky Blanton.[4]

ITF finals edit

$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 1 (0–1) edit

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. July 3, 1995 Norfolk, United States Hard   Jane Taylor 5–7, 1–6

Doubles: 14 (6–8) edit

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. July 16, 1990 Greensboro, United States Clay   Julie Kaczmarek   Jessica Emmons
  Meredith Geiger
2–6, 1–6
Loss 2. October 19, 1992 Kyoto, Japan Hard   Masako Yanagi   Yuko Hosoki
  Naoko Kijimuta
3–6, 3–6
Loss 3. November 16, 1992 Bangkok, Thailand Hard   Seiko Ichioka   Suvimol Duangchan
  Benjamas Sangaram
4–6, 7–6(1), 3–6
Loss 4. February 1, 1993 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Hard   Tamarine Tanasugarn   Suzanna Wibowo
  Romana Tedjakusuma
3–6, 1–6
Win 1. August 2, 1993 Norfolk, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Maija Avotins
  Lisa McShea
7–6, 6–4
Win 2. October 18, 1993 Sedona, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Jessica Emmons
  Caroline Kuhlman
6–4, 7–6(5)
Win 3. August 1, 1994 Norfolk, United States Hard   Karin Miller   Gail Biggs
  Claudine Toleafoa
6–3, 4–6, 6–2
Loss 5. October 10, 1994 Sedona, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Shannan McCarthy
  Julie Steven
3–6, 3–6
Loss 6. February 5, 1995 Midland, United States Hard   Laxmi Poruri   Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
  Chanda Rubin
3–6, 2–6
Win 4. July 10, 1995 Easton, United States Hard   Karin Miller   Gail Biggs
  Nicole Oomens
6–2, 7–6(4)
Loss 7. July 24, 1995 Salisbury, Maryland, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Shannan McCarthy
  Julie Steven
3–6, 2–6
Win 5. June 9, 1997 Hilton Head, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Nicola Kaiwai
  Gaye McManus
6–1, 6–3
Win 6. June 14, 1998 Hilton Head, United States Hard   Vanessa Webb   Holly Parkinson
  Tracy Almeda-Singian
6–2, 7–6(4)
Loss 8. May 28, 2000 El Paso, United States Hard   Kaysie Smashey   Manisha Malhotra
  Leanne Baker
2–6, 6–7

References edit

  1. ^ "Girls' Top Seed Has Little Trouble". Sun-Sentinel. July 25, 1989.
  2. ^ "Ragan Gennusa, Andre Robertson among UT Hall of Honor inductees - Port Arthur News". The Port Arthur News. July 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Wimbledon - 20 June - 03 July 1994". itftennis.com.
  4. ^ "Sandy (Sureephong) Blanton (2019) - Hall of Honor". University of Texas Athletics.

External links edit