Wikipedia / Mercedes Paz
Wikipedia / Mercedes Paz
Mercedes María Paz (; born 27 June 1966) is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. She won three singles titles on the WTA Tour and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 28 in April 1991. Her best Grand Slam result was the fourth round at the 1986 French Open and the 1990 French Open.
Career
Paz unexpectedly defeated defending champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the second round of the 1990 French Open. Later that year, at the Virginia Slims of Worcester, Paz also defeated Sánchez Vicario in the round of 16. Five years before, in the semifinals of the 1985 Brazil Open, she beat top-seeded Gabriela Sabatini en route to beating Peruvian Laura Arraya for the title. In so doing, Paz became the first Argentinian woman to capture a major WTA event. In addition to wins over Sánchez Vicario and Sabatini, she also defeated top-seeded Jana Novotná in three sets to reach the semifinals of the Belgian Ladies Open in Brussels in 1989. The previous year, at the 1988 Hilton Head tournament, Paz had defeated Novotná in the round of 32 for the first time.
WTA career finals
Singles 6 (3 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Legend | ||||||
Virginia Slims (1–1) | ||||||
Tier I (0–0) | ||||||
Tier II (0–0) | ||||||
Tier III (0–0) | ||||||
Tier IV & V (2–2) | ||||||
Result | W-L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Win | 1–0 | Mar 1985 | São Paulo Open, Brazil | Clay | 5–7, 6–1, 6–4 | |
Loss | 1–1 | Oct 1986 | Hard (i) | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 | ||
Loss | 1–2 | Hard | 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 | |||
Win | 2–2 | Guarujá Cup, Brazil | Hard | 7–5, 6–2 | ||
Loss | 2–3 | Clay | 7–6(8–6), 6–4 | |||
Win | 3–3 | May 1990 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | 6–2, 6–3 |
Doubles 40 (22 titles, 18 runner-ups)
Legend | |||||||
WTA Championships (0–1) | |||||||
Virginia Slims (7–2) | |||||||
Tier I (0–1) | |||||||
Tier II (1–5) | |||||||
Tier III (2–1) | |||||||
Tier IV & V (12–8) | |||||||
Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Win | 1. | Oct 1984 | Japan Open | Hard | 6–4, 7–5 | ||
Win | 2. | Mar 1985 | São Paulo Open, Brazil | Clay | 7–5, 6–4 | ||
Win | 3. | Aug 1985 | VS New York, U.S. | Hard | Gabriela Sabatini | 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 | |
Win | 4. | Nov 1986 | Puerto Rico Open | Hard | Gigi Fernández Robin White | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 | |
Win | 5. | Dec 1986 | Clay | Lori McNeil | Manon Bollegraf Nicole Muns-Jagerman | 6–1, 2–6, 6–1 | |
Loss | 1. | Mar 1987 | South Carolina Open, U.S. | Clay | 6–4, 6–4 | ||
Win | 6. | Apr 1987 | Family Circle Cup, U.S. | Clay | Zina Garrison Lori McNeil | 7–6(8–6), 7–5 | |
Win | 7. | Nov 1987 | Argentine Open | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Loss | 2. | Dec 1987 | Hard | Jill Hetherington | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 | ||
Win | 8. | Jul 1988 | Clay | 6–0, 6–2 | |||
Win | 9. | Jul 1988 | Belgian Open | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | 7–6(7–3), 6–1 | |
Win | 10. | Nov 1988 | Guarujá Cup, Brazil | Hard | 6–3, 6–4 | ||
Win | 11. | May 1989 | Ilva Trophy, Italy | Clay | 6–2, 6–2 | ||
Loss | 3. | May 1989 | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | 6–4, 6–3 | ||
Win | 12. | May 1989 | Internationaux de Strasbourg, France | Clay | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
Loss | 4. | Jul 1989 | Arcachon Cup, France | Clay | Sandra Cecchini Patricia Tarabini | 6–3, 7–6(7–5) | |
Winner | 13. | Jul 1989 | Belgian Open | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder | 6–1, 6–2 |
Win | 14. | Jul 1989 | Swedish Open | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Sabrina Goleš Katerina Maleeva | 6–2, 7–5 |
Win | 15. | Dec 1989 | Guarujá Cup, Brazil | Hard | Patricia Tarabini | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Loss | 5. | Apr 1990 | Family Circle Cup, U.S. | Clay | 6–2, 6–1 | ||
Win | 16. | Apr 1990 | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 7–6(7–5), 6–4 | ||
Win | 17. | Apr 1990 | Tampa Open, U.S. | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Laura Arraya Sandra Cecchini | 6–2, 6–0 |
Win | 18. | Apr 1990 | Barcelona Open, Spain | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Sabrina Goleš Patricia Tarabini | 6–7(7–9), 6–2, 6–1 |
Win | 19. | Jul 1990 | Swedish Open | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Carin Bakkum Nicole Muns-Jagerman | 6–3, 6–7(10–12), 6–2 |
Loss | 6. | Aug 1990 | LA Championships, U.S. | Hard | Gabriela Sabatini | Gigi Fernández Jana Novotná | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 |
Loss | 7. | Oct 1990 | Filderstadt Grand Prix, West Germany | Hard (i) | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Mary Joe Fernández Zina Garrison | 7–5, 6–3 |
Loss | 8. | Nov 1990 | WTA Championships, New York | Carpet (i) | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 7–6(7–4), 6–4 | |
Loss | 9. | Apr 1991 | Amelia Island Championships, U.S. | Clay | Natasha Zvereva | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Helena Suková | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Loss | 10. | May 1991 | Internationaux de Strasbourg, France | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Lori McNeil Stephanie Rehe | 6–7(2–7), 6–4, 6–4 |
Loss | 11. | Jul 1991 | Internazionali di Palermo, Italy | Clay | 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–3 | ||
Loss | 12. | Jul 1991 | San Marino Open | Clay | Laura Garrone | 6–0, 6–3 | |
Loss | 13. | Nov 1991 | VS Indianapolis, U.S. | Hard (i) | Patty Fendick Gigi Fernández | 6–4, 6–2 | |
Win | 20. | Dec 1991 | São Paulo Open, Brazil | Clay | 6–2, 6–2 | ||
Loss | 14. | May 1992 | Internationaux de Strasbourg, France | Clay | Lori McNeil | Patty Fendick Andrea Strnadová | 6–3, 6–4 |
Loss | 15. | Aug 1992 | San Diego Open, U.S. | Hard | Jana Novotná Larisa Neiland | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Loss | 16. | Apr 1993 | Ilva Trophy, Italy | Clay | Debbie Graham Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | 6–0, 6–4 | |
Loss | 17. | Jul 1993 | New Haven Open, U.S. | Hard | Elizabeth Smylie Helena Suková | 6–1, 6–2 | |
Win | 21. | Jan 1994 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Hard | 6–4, 7–6(7–3) | ||
Win | 22. | Apr 1995 | Bol Open, Croatia | Clay | 7–5, 6–2 | ||
Loss | 18. | Jul 1997 | Internazionali di Palermo, Italy | Clay | 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
ITF Circuit finals
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Singles (2–3)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 11 June 1984 | ITF Lyon, France | Clay | 6–7, 6–3, 2–6 | |
Runner-up | 2. | 25 February 1985 | ITF São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | 7–5, 4–6, 4–6 | |
Winner | 1. | 10 March 1985 | ITF Curitiba, Brazil | Clay | 6–1, 6–2 | |
Winner | 2. | 1 April 1985 | ITF Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Runner-up | 3. | 30 September 1996 | ITF Newport Beach, United States | Hard | 2–6, 4–6 |
Doubles (9–3)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 29 January 1984 | ITF Miami, United States | Hard | 4–6, 3–6 | ||
Winner | 1. | 11 June 1984 | Lyon, France | Clay | Ronni Reis | 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 | |
Winner | 2. | 15 November 1993 | La Plata, Argentina | Clay | 6–1, 6–4 | ||
Winner | 3. | 14 November 1994 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 6–4, 6–3 | |
Winner | 4. | 25 February 1996 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | 7–6, 6–2 | ||
Winner | 5. | 30 September 1996 | Newport Beach, United States | Hard | 6–3, 6–1 | ||
Runner-up | 2. | 20 October 1996 | Hayward, United States | Hard | 5–7, 2–6 | ||
Runner-up | 3. | 23 February 1997 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 6–7, 6–4, 5–7 | |
Winner | 6. | 27 July 1997 | Istanbul, Turkey | Hard | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 | ||
Winner | 7. | 5 October 1997 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Winner | 8. | 2 November 1997 | Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 6–2, 6–0 | |
Winner | 9. | 27 September 1998 | ITF Tucumán, Argentina | Clay | Luciana Masante Laura Montalvo | 5–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
External links