Mercedes Paz
Mercedes María Paz is a former professional tennis player from Argentina, who won three singles titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She reached her highest career ranking of 28 on April 29, 1991. Her best Grand Slam finish was the fourth round at the 1986 French Open and the 1990 French Open.
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 Tour finals
Singles 6 (3–3)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Winner | 1. | 18 March 1985 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Laura Arraya | 5–7, 6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1. | 20 October 1986 | Singapore | Hard | Gigi Fernández | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 2. | 10 October 1988 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Anne Minter | 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 2. | 7 November 1988 | Guarujá, Brazil | Hard | Rene Simpson | 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 3. | 17 July 1989 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Radka Zrubáková | 7–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 3. | 21 May 1990 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | Ann Grossman | 6–2, 6–3 |
Doubles 40 (22–18)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Winner | 1. | 1 October 1984 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Ronni Reis | Emilse Raponi-Longo Adriana Villagrán | 6–4, 7–5 |
Winner | 2. | 18 March 1985 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | Csilla Bartos Neige Dias | 7–5, 6–4 |
Winner | 3. | 19 August 1985 | Monticello, USA | Hard | Gabriela Sabatini | Kateřina Böhmová Andrea Holíková | 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 4. | 10 November 1986 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Lori McNeil | Gigi Fernández Robin White | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 5. | 1 December 1986 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Lori McNeil | Manon Bollegraf Nicole Muns-Jagerman | 6–1, 2–6, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 1. | 30 March 1987 | Wild Dunes, USA | Clay | Candy Reynolds | Laura Arraya Tine Scheuer-Larsen | 6–4, 6–4 |
Winner | 6. | 6 April 1987 | Hilton Head, USA | Clay | Eva Pfaff | Zina Garrison Lori McNeil | 7–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 7. | 30 November 1987 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | Jill Hetherington Christiane Jolissaint | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 2. | 7 December 1987 | Guarujá, Brazil | Hard | Jill Hetherington | Katrina Adams Cheryl Jones | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 8. | 4 July 1988 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Sandra Cecchini | Linda Ferrando Silvia La Fratta | 6–0, 6–2 |
Winner | 9. | 11 July 1988 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Katerina Maleeva Raffaella Reggi | 7–6, 6–1 |
Winner | 10. | 7 November 1988 | Guarujá, Brazil | Hard | Bettina Fulco | Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder | 6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 11. | 1 May 1989 | Taranto, Italy | Clay | Sabrina Goleš | Sophie Amiach Emmanuelle Derly | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 3. | 8 May 1989 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Elizabeth Smylie Janine Thompson | 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 12. | 22 May 1989 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | Judith Wiesner | Lise Gregory Gretchen Magers | 6–3, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 4. | 10 July 1989 | Arcachon, France | Clay | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Sandra Cecchini Patricia Tarabini | 6–3, 7–6 |
Winner | 13. | 17 July 1989 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder | 6–1, 6–2 |
Winner | 14. | 24 July 1989 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Sabrina Goleš Katerina Maleeva | 6–2, 7–5 |
Winner | 15. | 11 December 1989 | Guarujá, Brazil | Hard | Patricia Tarabini | Cláudia Chabalgoity Luciana Corsato | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 5. | 2 April 1990 | Hilton Head, USA | Clay | Natasha Zvereva | Martina Navratilova Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6–2, 6–1 |
Winner | 16. | 9 April 1990 | Amelia Island, USA | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Regina Kordová Andrea Temesvári | 7–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 17. | 16 April 1990 | Tampa, USA | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Laura Arraya Sandra Cecchini | 6–2, 6–0 |
Winner | 18. | 23 April 1990 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Sabrina Goleš Patricia Tarabini | 6–7, 6–2, 6–1 |
Winner | 19. | 9 July 1990 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Carin Bakkum Nicole Muns-Jagerman | 6–3, 6–7, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 6. | 13 August 1990 | Manhattan Beach, USA | Hard | Gabriela Sabatini | Gigi Fernández Jana Novotná | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 7. | 15 October 1990 | Filderstadt, West Germany | Hard | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Mary Joe Fernández Zina Garrison | 7–5, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 8. | 12 November 1990 | New York, USA | Carpet | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 7–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 9. | 8 April 1991 | Amelia Island, USA | Clay | Natasha Zvereva | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Helena Suková | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 10. | 20 May 1991 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Lori McNeil Stephanie Rehe | 6–7, 6–4, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 11. | 8 July 1991 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Laura Garrone | Petra Langrová Mary Pierce | 6–3, 6–7, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 12. | 15 July 1991 | San Marino | Clay | Laura Garrone | Kerry-Anne Guse Akemi Nishiya | 6–0, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 13. | 11 November 1991 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | Katrina Adams | Patty Fendick Gigi Fernández | 6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 20. | 2 December 1991 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Inés Gorrochategui | Renata Baranski Laura Glitz | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 14. | 18 May 1992 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | Lori McNeil | Patty Fendick Andrea Strnadová | 6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 15. | 24 August 1992 | San Diego, USA | Hard | Conchita Martínez | Jana Novotná Larisa Neiland | 6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 16. | 26 April 1993 | Taranto, Italy | Clay | Petra Langrová | Debbie Graham Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | 6–0, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 17. | 26 July 1993 | Stratton Mountain, USA | Hard | Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere | Elizabeth Smylie Helena Suková | 6–1, 6–2 |
Winner | 21. | 31 January 1994 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Patricia Hy | Jenny Byrne Julie Richardson | 6–4, 7–6 |
Winner | 22. | 24 April 1995 | Zagreb, Croatia | Clay | Rene Simpson | Laura Golarsa Irina Spîrlea | 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 18. | 14 July 1997 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Florencia Labat | Silvia Farina Elia Barbara Schett | 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 |