Sandra Birch

Sandra Birch-Krusos (born September 3, 1969) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sandra Birch
Full nameSandra Birch-Krusos
Country (sports) United States
Born (1969-09-03) September 3, 1969 (age 54)
Bolton, England [1]
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) [1]
PlaysRight-handed [1]
CollegeStanford
Prize money$30,201
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 187 (September 11, 1989)
Grand Slam singles results
US Open1R (1989, 1991)
Doubles
Highest rankingNo. 163 (September 11, 1989)
Grand Slam doubles results
US Open2R (1989)

Biography

Birch, who was raised in Huntington Bay on Long Island, was runner-up to Natasha Zvereva in the girls' singles at the 1987 US Open.[2]

From 1988 to 1991 she played collegiate tennis for Stanford University and was a member of the championship winning teams in each of those four seasons. She was a two-time NCAA Division I singles champion. In 1989, she beat Jennifer Santrock to win her first singles championship, and she was runner-up in the doubles.[3] Her second championship was won in 1991 as a senior, over Lisa Albano in the final.[4] While at Stanford, she won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best female tennis player in 1991.[5][6]

Both championship wins earned her a wildcard into the US Open main draw. She was beaten in the first round by Conchita Martínez in 1989 and Manuela Maleeva in 1991.[7]

While at Stanford, she competed in several WTA Tour professional tournaments, most notably the 1989 OTB Open held in Schenectady, where she was a singles quarterfinalist and runner-up in the doubles with Debbie Graham.[8]

WTA Tour finals

Doubles (0-1)

Result   Date   TournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
LossJuly, 1989Schenectady, U.S.Category 1Hard Debbie Graham Michelle Jaggard
Hu Na
3–6, 2–6

References