Mercedes María Paz (Spanish pronunciation: [meɾˈseðes maˈɾi.a ˈpas]; 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.

Mercedes Paz
Country (sports) Argentina
ResidenceTucumán, Argentina
Born (1966-06-27) 27 June 1966 (age 58)
Tucumán
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro1984
Retired1998
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,154,319
Singles
Career record280–279
Career titles3
Highest rankingNo. 28 (29 April 1991)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (1991, 1992, 1995)
French Open4R (1986, 1990)
Wimbledon2R (1994, 1996)
US Open2R (1985, 1987, 1988)
Doubles
Career record385–245
Career titles22
Highest rankingNo. 12 (24 September 1990)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open3R (1991, 1992)
French OpenSF (1991)
WimbledonQF (1990)
US OpenSF (1991)

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

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Singles 6 (3 titles, 3 runner-ups)

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Legend
Virginia Slims (1–1)
Tier I (0–0)
Tier II (0–0)
Tier III (0–0)
Tier IV & V (2–2)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1. Mar 1985 São Paulo Open, Brazil Clay   Laura Arraya 5–7, 6–1, 6–4
Loss 1. Oct 1986 Singapore Open Hard (i)   Gigi Fernández 6–4, 2–6, 6–4
Loss 2. Oct 1988 Puerto Rico Open Hard   Anne Minter 2–6, 6–4, 6–3
Win 2. Nov 1988 Guarujá Cup, Brazil Hard   Rene Simpson 7–5, 6–2
Loss 3. Jul 1989 Belgian Open Clay   Radka Zrubáková 7–6(8–6), 6–4
Win 3. May 1990 Internationaux de Strasbourg, France Clay   Ann Grossman 6–2, 6–3

Doubles 40 (22 titles, 18 runner-ups)

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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

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$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles (2–3)

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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)

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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

Notes

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Awards
Preceded by Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award
1990
Succeeded by