# Mercedes Paz

Mercedes María Paz (Spanish pronunciation:; 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.
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 | Laura Arraya | 5–7, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Oct 1986 | Singapore Open | Hard (i) | Gigi Fernández | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Oct 1988 | Puerto Rico Open | Hard | Anne Minter | 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–2 | Nov 1988 | Guarujá Cup, Brazil | Hard | Rene Simpson | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2–3 | Jul 1989 | Belgian Open | Clay | Radka Zrubáková | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–3 | May 1990 | Strasbourg, France | Clay | Ann Grossman | 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 | Ronni Reis | Emilse Raponi-Longo Adriana Villagrán | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Win | 2. | Mar 1985 | São Paulo Open, Brazil | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | Csilla Bartos Niege Dias | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Win | 3. | Aug 1985 | VS New York, U.S. | Hard | Gabriela Sabatini | Kateřina Böhmová Andrea Holíková | 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 4. | Nov 1986 | Puerto Rico Open | Hard | Lori McNeil | Gigi Fernández Robin White | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 5. | Dec 1986 | Argentine Open | Clay | Lori McNeil | Manon Bollegraf Nicole Muns-Jagerman | 6–1, 2–6, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1. | Mar 1987 | South Carolina Open, U.S. | Clay | Candy Reynolds | Laura Arraya Tine Scheuer-Larsen | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 6. | Apr 1987 | Family Circle Cup, U.S. | Clay | Eva Pfaff | Zina Garrison Lori McNeil | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 7–5 |
| Win | 7. | Nov 1987 | Argentine Open | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | Jill Hetherington Christiane Jolissaint | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2. | Dec 1987 | Brasil Open | Hard | Jill Hetherington | Katrina Adams Cheryl Jones | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 8. | Jul 1988 | Swedish Open | Clay | Sandra Cecchini | Linda Ferrando Silvia La Fratta | 6–0, 6–2 |
| Win | 9. | Jul 1988 | Belgian Open | Clay | Tine Scheuer-Larsen | Katerina Maleeva Raffaella Reggi | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 6–1 |
| Win | 10. | Nov 1988 | Guarujá Cup, Brazil | Hard | Bettina Fulco | Carin Bakkum Simone Schilder | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 11. | May 1989 | Ilva Trophy, Italy | Clay | Sabrina Goleš | Sophie Amiach Emmanuelle Derly | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 3. | May 1989 | Italian Open | Clay | Manon Bollegraf | Elizabeth Smylie Janine Thompson | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 12. | May 1989 | Internationaux de Strasbourg, France | Clay | Judith Wiesner | Lise Gregory Gretchen Magers | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 4. | Jul 1989 | Arcachon Cup, France | Clay | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | 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 | Cláudia Chabalgoity Luciana Corsato | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 5. | Apr 1990 | Family Circle Cup, U.S. | Clay | Natasha Zvereva | Martina Navratilova Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 16. | Apr 1990 | Amelia Island Championships, U.S. | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Regina Kordová Andrea Temesvári | 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 | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 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 | Laura Garrone | Petra Langrová Mary Pierce | 6–3, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–3 |
| Loss | 12. | Jul 1991 | San Marino Open | Clay | Laura Garrone | Kerry-Anne Guse Akemi Nishiya | 6–0, 6–3 |
| Loss | 13. | Nov 1991 | VS Indianapolis, U.S. | Hard (i) | Katrina Adams | Patty Fendick Gigi Fernández | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 20. | Dec 1991 | São Paulo Open, Brazil | Clay | Inés Gorrochategui | Renata Baranski Laura Glitz | 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 | Conchita Martínez | Jana Novotná Larisa Neiland | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Loss | 16. | Apr 1993 | Ilva Trophy, Italy | Clay | Petra Langrová | Debbie Graham Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | 6–0, 6–4 |
| Loss | 17. | Jul 1993 | New Haven Open, U.S. | Hard | Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere | Elizabeth Smylie Helena Suková | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 21. | Jan 1994 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Hard | Patricia Hy | Jenny Byrne Julie Richardson | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ |
| Win | 22. | Apr 1995 | Bol Open, Croatia | Clay | Rene Simpson | Laura Golarsa Irina Spîrlea | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Loss | 18. | Jul 1997 | Internazionali di Palermo, Italy | Clay | Florencia Labat | Silvia Farina Elia Barbara Schett | 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 | Katerina Maleeva | 6–7, 6–3, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 25 February 1985 | ITF São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Helena Dahlström | 7–5, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 10 March 1985 | ITF Curitiba, Brazil | Clay | Renee Blount | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 2. | 1 April 1985 | ITF Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Mariana Pérez Roldán | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 30 September 1996 | ITF Newport Beach, United States | Hard | Elena Brioukhovets | 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 | Ronni Reis | Heather Crowe Rene Mentz | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 11 June 1984 | Lyon, France | Clay | Ronni Reis | Isabelle Demongeot Nathalie Tauziat | 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Winner | 2. | 15 November 1993 | La Plata, Argentina | Clay | Laura Montalvo | Cláudia Chabalgoity Larissa Schaerer | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | 14 November 1994 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Laura Montalvo | Patrícia Marková Yuka Tanaka | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 4. | 25 February 1996 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Christína Papadáki | Virág Csurgó Kateřina Kroupová-Šišková | 7–6, 6–2 |
| Winner | 5. | 30 September 1996 | Newport Beach, United States | Hard | Rene Simpson | Erika deLone Nicole Pratt | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 20 October 1996 | Hayward, United States | Hard | Annabel Ellwood | Jill Hetherington Kathy Rinaldi | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 23 February 1997 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Laura Montalvo | Seda Noorlander Christína Papadáki | 6–7, 6–4, 5–7 |
| Winner | 6. | 27 July 1997 | Istanbul, Turkey | Hard | Laura Golarsa | Sylvia Plischke Marlene Weingärtner | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Winner | 7. | 5 October 1997 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Laura Montalvo | Celeste Contín Romina Ottoboni | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 8. | 2 November 1997 | Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil | Clay | Laura Montalvo | Miriam D'Agostini Vanessa Menga | 6–2, 6–0 |
| Winner | 9. | 27 September 1998 | ITF Tucumán, Argentina | Clay | Patricia Tarabini | Luciana Masante Laura Montalvo | 5–7, 6–4, 7–6 |