Mercedes Paz

Mercedes Paz
Country  Argentina
Residence Tucuman, Argentina
Born 27 June 1966
Tucuman, Argentina
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro 1984
Retired 1998
Plays Right-handed (one handed backhand)
Prize money $1,154,319
Singles
Career record 280–279
Career titles 3 WTA
Highest ranking No. 28 (29 April 1991)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 1R (1991, 1992, 1995)
French Open 4R (1986, 1990)
Wimbledon 2R (1994, 1996)
US Open 2R (1985, 1987, 1988)
Doubles
Career record 385–245
Career titles 22 WTA
Highest ranking No. 12 (24 September 1990)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 3R (1991, 1992)
French Open SF (1991)
Wimbledon QF (1990)
US Open SF (1991)
Last updated on: June 24, 2012.

Mercedes María Paz (born 27 June 27 in Tucumán) is a former professional tennis player from Argentina, who won three singles titles during her career on the WTA Tour. The right-hander reached her highest career ranking on April 29, 1991, when she became the number 28 of the world. Her best Grand Slam finish was the fourth round at the 1986 French Open and the 1990 French Open.

Paz is best known for upsetting defending champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the second round of the 1990 French Open. Later that year, at the Virginia Slims of Worcester, Pazs also defeated Sánchez Vicario in the round of 16. Five years before, in the semifinals of the 1985 Brazil Open, she disposed of top-seeded Sabatini from Argentina en route to beating Peruvian Laura Arraya for the title. In so doing, Paz became the first Argentinian woman to capture a major wta tour 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 defeated Novotná for the first time in the round of 32.

WTA Tour Finals

Singles 6 (3–3)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0/0)
Olympic Gold (0/0)
WTA Championships (0/0)
Virginia Slims (1/1)
Tier I (0/0)
Tier II (0/0)
Tier III (0/0)
Tier IV & V (2/2)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner 1. 18 March 1985 Brazil São Paulo Clay Peru Laura Arraya 5–7, 6–1, 6–4
Runner-up 1. 20 October 1986 Singapore Singapore Hard (i) United States Gigi Fernández 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
Runner-up 2. 10 October 1988 Puerto Rico San Juan Hard Australia Anne Minter 2–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2. 7 November 1988 Brazil Guarujá Hard Canada Rene Simpson 7–5, 6–2
Runner-up 3. 17 July 1989 Belgium Brussels Clay Czech Republic Radka Zrubáková 7–6(6), 6–4
Winner 3. 21 May 1990 France Strasbourg Clay United States Ann Grossman 6–2, 6–3

Doubles 40 (22–18)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0/0)
Olympic Gold (0/0)
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)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Winner 1. 1 October 1984 Japan Tokyo Hard United States Ronni Reis Argentina Emilse Raponi
Argentina Adriana Villagran
6–4, 7–5
Winner 2. 18 March 1985 Brazil São Paulo Clay Argentina Gabriela Sabatini Hungary Csilla Bartos
Brazil Neige Dias
7–5, 6–4
Winner 3. 19 August 1985 United States Monticello Hard Argentina Gabriela Sabatini Czech Republic Kateřina Böhmová
Czech Republic Andrea Holíková
5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 4. 10 November 1986 Puerto Rico San Juan Hard United States Lori McNeil United States Gigi Fernández
United States Robin White
6–2, 3–6, 6–4
Winner 5. 1 December 1986 Argentina Buenos Aires Clay United States Lori McNeil Netherlands Manon Bollegraf
Netherlands Nicole Muns-Jagerman
6–1, 2–6, 6–1
Runner-up 1. 30 March 1987 United States Wild Dunes Clay United States Candy Reynolds Peru Laura Arraya
Denmark Tine Scheuer-Larsen
6–4, 6–4
Winner 6. 6 April 1987 United States Hilton Head Clay Germany Eva Pfaff United States Zina Garrison
United States Lori McNeil
7–6(6), 7–5
Winner 7. 30 November 1987 Argentina Buenos Aires Clay Argentina Gabriela Sabatini Canada Jill Hetherington
Switzerland Christiane Jolissaint
6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 2. 7 December 1987 Brazil Guarujá Hard Canada Jill Hetherington United States Katrina Adams
United States Cheryl Jones
6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Winner 8. 4 July 1988 Sweden Båstad Clay Italy Sandra Cecchini Italy Linda Ferrando
Italy Silvia La Fratta
6–0, 6–2
Winner 9. 11 July 1988 Belgium Brussels Clay Denmark Tine Scheuer-Larsen Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva
Italy Raffaella Reggi
7–6(3), 6–1
Winner 10. 7 November 1988 Brazil Guarujá Hard Argentina Bettina Fulco Netherlands Carin Bakkum
Netherlands Simone Schilder
6–3, 6–4
Winner 11. 1 May 1989 Italy Taranto Clay Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sabrina Goleš France Sophie Amiach
France Emmanuelle Derly
6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 3. 8 May 1989 Italy Rome Clay Netherlands Manon Bollegraf Australia Elizabeth Smylie
Australia Janine Thompson
6–4, 6–3
Winner 12. 22 May 1989 France Strasbourg Clay Austria Judith Wiesner South Africa Lise Gregory
United States Gretchen Magers
6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 4. 10 July 1989 France Arcachon Clay Netherlands Brenda Schultz-McCarthy Italy Sandra Cecchini
Argentina Patricia Tarabini
6–3, 7–6(5)
Winner 13. 17 July 1989 Belgium Brussels Clay Netherlands Manon Bollegraf Netherlands Carin Bakkum
Netherlands Simone Schilder
6–1, 6–2
Winner 14. 24 July 1989 Sweden Båstad Clay Denmark Tine Scheuer-Larsen Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sabrina Goleš
Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva
6–2, 7–5
Winner 15. 11 December 1989 Brazil Guarujá Hard Argentina Patricia Tarabini Brazil Claudia Chabalgoity
Brazil Luciana Corsato
6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 5. 2 April 1990 United States Hilton Head Clay Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva United States Martina Navratilova
Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
6–2, 6–1
Winner 16. 9 April 1990 United States Amelia Island Clay Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Czech Republic Regina Kordová
Hungary Andrea Temesvári
7–6(5), 6–4
Winner 17. 16 April 1990 United States Tampa Clay Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Peru Laura Arraya
Italy Sandra Cecchini
6–2, 6–0
Winner 18. 23 April 1990 Spain Barcelona Clay Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sabrina Goleš
Argentina Patricia Tarabini
6–7(7), 6–2, 6–1
Winner 19. 9 July 1990 Sweden Båstad Clay Denmark Tine Scheuer-Larsen Netherlands Carin Bakkum
Netherlands Nicole Muns-Jagerman
6–3, 6–7(10), 6–2
Runner-up 6. 13 August 1990 United States Manhattan Beach Hard Argentina Gabriela Sabatini United States Gigi Fernández
Czech Republic Jana Novotná
6–3, 4–6, 6–4
Runner-up 7. 15 October 1990 Germany Filderstadt Hard (i) Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario United States Mary Joe Fernández
United States Zina Garrison
7–5, 6–3
Runner-up 8. 12 November 1990 United States New York City Carpet Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Smylie
7–6(4), 6–4
Runner-up 9. 8 April 1991 United States Amelia Island Clay Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Czech Republic Helena Suková
4–6, 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 10. 20 May 1991 France Strasbourg Clay Netherlands Manon Bollegraf United States Lori McNeil
United States Stephanie Rehe
6–7(2), 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up 11. 8 July 1991 Italy Palermo Clay Italy Laura Garrone Czech Republic Petra Langrová
France Mary Pierce
6–3, 6–7(5), 6–3
Runner-up 12. 15 July 1991 San Marino San Marino Clay Italy Laura Garrone Australia Kerry-Anne Guse
Japan Akemi Nishiya
6–0, 6–3
Runner-up 13. 11 November 1991 United States Indianapolis Hard (i) United States Katrina Adams United States Patty Fendick
United States Gigi Fernández
6–4, 6–2
Winner 20. 2 December 1991 Brazil São Paulo Clay Argentina Inés Gorrochategui Poland Renata Baranski
United States Laura Glitz
6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 14. 18 May 1992 France Strasbourg Clay United States Lori McNeil United States Patty Fendick
Czech Republic Andrea Strnadová
6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 15. 24 August 1992 United States San Diego Hard Spain Conchita Martínez Czech Republic Jana Novotná
Latvia Larisa Neiland
6–1, 6–4
Runner-up 16. 26 April 1993 Italy Taranto Clay Czech Republic Petra Langrová United States Debbie Graham
Netherlands Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
6–0, 6–4
Runner-up 17. 26 July 1993 United States Stratton Mountain Hard Switzerland Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere Australia Elizabeth Smylie
Czech Republic Helena Suková
6–1, 6–2
Winner 21. 31 January 1994 New Zealand Auckland Hard Canada Patricia Hy Australia Jenny Byrne
Australia Julie Richardson
6–4, 7–6(3)
Winner 22. 24 April 1995 Croatia Zagreb Clay Canada Rene Simpson Italy Laura Golarsa
Romania Irina Spîrlea
7–5, 6–2
Runner-up 18. 14 July 1997 Italy Palermo Clay Argentina Florencia Labat Italy Silvia Farina Elia
Austria Barbara Schett
2–6, 6–1, 6–4

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