Southern California Open

Mercury Insurance Open 
WTA Tour
Location San Diego, California
 United States
Venue La Costa Resort and Spa
Category WTA Tier I
(2004–2007)
WTA Premier tournaments
(2010–)
Surface Hardcourt / Outdoor
Draw 56S / 32SQ / 16D
Prize Money US$ 700,000

The Southern California Open, currently sponsored by Mercury Insurance and titled the Mercury Insurance Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament held at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament from 2004 until 2007.

The event was formed in 1984 by Raquel Giscafre as the Ginny of San Diego [1]. Prior to this there had been two previous women's tennis tournaments in San Diego: a Virginia Slims event in 1971 and the Wells Fargo Open, which ran from 1979 to 1982. Giscafre's former doubles partner, Jane Stratton, attained co-ownership of the tournament from 1986 until the event's cessation. The tournament has had various principal sponsors throughout its history, and has been played under the headings of the Great American Bank Classic, the Mazda Classic and the Toshiba Classic. The tournament was known for its strong player fields, location in the hills and atmosphere.

Although the tournament achieved the Tier I status only recently, it became a draw to the heavyweights in women's tennis since its inception in the 1980s, being a crucial warm-up tournament leading to the US Open. Past champions of the tournament include former world number ones Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova. Six players won the tournament more than once, four of them consecutively. Graf holds the record for most wins (4); Venus Williams holds the record for most consecutive titles (3).

On September 7, 2009, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced the return of professional women's tennis to San Diego in 2010. The Mercury Insurance Open is slated to begin August 2, 2010. The Mercury Insurance Open replaces the LA Women's Tennis Championships on the WTA Tour calendar. The tournament will be a Premier event with $700,000 in prize money. Although the Mercury Insurance Open is under new management, Raquel Giscafre will stay on as the tournament director.

Sponsor history:

Contents

Past finals

Singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score
1971 Billie Jean King   Rosemary Casals 3–6, 7–5, 6–1
1972-78 Not Held
1979 Tracy Austin Martina Navrátilová 6–4, 6–2
1980 Tracy Austin Wendy Turnbull 6–1, 6–3
1981 Tracy Austin Pam Shriver 6–2, 5–7, 6–2
1982 Tracy Austin Kathy Rinaldi 7–6, 6–3
1983 Not Held
1984 Debbie Spence Betsy Nagelsen 6–3, 6–7 (3–7), 6–4
1985 Annabel Croft Wendy Turnbull 6–0, 7–6 (7–5)
1986 Melissa Gurney   Stephanie Rehe 6–2, 6–4
1987 Raffaella Reggi Anne Minter 6–0, 6–4
1988 Stephanie Rehe Ann Grossman 6–1, 6–1
1989 Steffi Graf Zina Garrison 6–4, 7–5
1990 Steffi Graf Manuela Maleeva Fragnière 6–3, 6–2
1991 Jennifer Capriati Monica Seles 4–6, 6–1, 7–6 (7–2)
1992 Jennifer Capriati Conchita Martínez 6–3, 6–2
1993 Steffi Graf Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–4, 4–6, 6–1
1994 Steffi Graf Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–2, 6–1
1995 Conchita Martínez Lisa Raymond 6–2, 6–0
1996 Kimiko Date Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 3–6, 6–3, 6–0
1997 Martina Hingis Monica Seles 7–6 (7–4), 6–4
1998 Lindsay Davenport Mary Pierce 6–3, 6–1
1999 Martina Hingis Venus Williams 6–4, 6–0
2000 Venus Williams Monica Seles 6–0, 6–7 (3–7), 6–2
2001 Venus Williams Monica Seles 6–2, 6–3
2002 Venus Williams Jelena Dokić 6–2, 6–2
2003 Justine Henin Kim Clijsters 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
↓  Tier I tournament  ↓
2004 Lindsay Davenport Anastasia Myskina 6–1, 6–1
2005 Mary Pierce Ai Sugiyama 6–0, 6–3
2006 Maria Sharapova Kim Clijsters 7–5, 7–5
2007 Maria Sharapova Patty Schnyder 6–2, 3–6, 6–0
2008-09 Not Held
2010 Svetlana Kuznetsova Agnieszka Radwańska 6–4, 6–7(7), 6–3
2011 Agnieszka Radwańska   Vera Zvonareva   6–3, 6–4

Doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1971 Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King
Françoise Durr
Judy Tegart Dalton
6–7, 6–2, 6–3
1972
-
1978
Not Held
1979 Rosemary Casals
Martina Navrátilová
Betty Ann Grubb Stuart
Ann Kiyomura
3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1980 Tracy Austin
Ann Kiyomura
Rosemary Casals
Wendy Turnbull
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1981 Kathy Jordan
Candy Reynolds
Rosemary Casals
Pam Shriver
6–1, 2–6, 6–4
1982 Kathy Jordan
Paula Smith
Patrica Medrado
Claudia Monteiro
6–3, 5–7, 7–6
1983 Not Held
1984 Betsy Nagelsen
Paula Smith
Terry Holladay
Iwona Kuczyńska
6–2, 6–4
1985 Candy Reynolds
Wendy Turnbull
Rosalyn Fairbank
Susan Leo
6–4, 6–0
1986 Beth Herr
Alycia Moulton
Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank
5–7, 6–2, 6–4
1987 Jana Novotná
Catherine Suire
Elise Burgin
Sharon Walsh
6–3, 6–4
1988 Patty Fendick
Jill Hetherington
Betsy Nagelsen
Dinky van Rensburg
7–6 (12–10), 6–4
1989 Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank
Gretchen Magers
Robin White
4–6, 6–3, 6–3
1990 Patty Fendick
Zina Garrison
Elise Burgin
Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer
6–4, 7–6 (7–5)
1991 Jill Hetherington
Kathy Rinaldi
Gigi Fernández
Nathalie Tauziat
6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1992 Jana Novotná
Larisa Neiland
Conchita Martínez
Mercedes Paz
6–1, 6–4
1993 Gigi Fernández
Helena Suková
Pam Shriver
Elizabeth Smylie
6–4, 6–3
1994 Jana Novotná
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Ginger Helgeson
Rachel McQuillan
6–3, 6–3
1995 Gigi Fernández
Natasha Zvereva
Alexia Dechaume-Balleret
Sandrine Testud
6–2, 6–1
1996 Gigi Fernández
Conchita Martínez
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Larisa Neiland
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1997 Martina Hingis
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Amy Frazier
Kimberly Po
6–3, 7–5
1998 Lindsay Davenport
Natasha Zvereva
Alexandra Fusai
Nathalie Tauziat
6–2, 6–1
1999 Lindsay Davenport
Corina Morariu
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
6–4, 6–1
2000 Lisa Raymond
Rennae Stubbs
Lindsay Davenport
Anna Kournikova
4–6, 6–3, 7–6 (8–6)
2001 Cara Black
Elena Likhovtseva
Martina Hingis
Anna Kournikova
6–4, 1–6, 6–4
2002 Elena Dementieva
Janette Husárová
Daniela Hantuchová
Ai Sugiyama
6–2, 6–4
2003 Kim Clijsters
Ai Sugiyama
Lindsay Davenport
Lisa Raymond
6–4, 7–5
↓  Tier I tournament  ↓
2004 Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs
Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez
4–6, 6–1, 6–4
2005 Conchita Martínez
Virginia Ruano Pascual
Daniela Hantuchová
Ai Sugiyama
6–7 (7–9), 6–1, 7–5
2006 Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs
Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Meghann Shaughnessy
6–2, 6–2
2007 Cara Black
Liezel Huber
Anna Chakvetadze
Victoria Azarenka
7–5, 6–3
2008-09 Not Held
2010 Maria Kirilenko
Zheng Jie
Lisa Raymond
Rennae Stubbs
6–4, 6–4
2011 Kvĕta Peschke
Katarina Srebotnik
Raquel Kops-Jones
Abigail Spears
6-0, 6-2

See also

External links

References and footnotes

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Miami
Favorite WTA Tier I - II Tournament
1996
Succeeded by
Indian Wells