Rita Pichardo

Rita Pichardo
Full name	Rita Maria Pichardo
Country (sports)	Cuba
Born	May 22, 1970 (age 51)
Prize money	$13,063
Singles
Career record	40–31
Career titles	2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 403 (23 March 1992)
Doubles
Career record	52–25
Career titles	6 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 209 (2 December 1991)

Rita Maria Pichardo (born 22 May 1970) is a Cuban former professional tennis player.

Pichardo, a five-time national champion, represented the Cuba Federation Cup team in 1991 and 1992. She featured in a total of six ties, including a World Group second round matchup against Romania, where she lost her singles rubber in three sets to Irina Spîrlea.

In 1993, while competing in satellite tournaments in Mexico, Pichardo made the decision to defect to the United States and with the help of friends crossed the border at Tijuana on a fake passport.^[1]

ITF finals[]

Singles: 4 (2–2)[]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	19 May 1991	San Luis Potosí, Mexico	Hard	Monica Mraz	3–6, 6–4, 6–0
Runner-up	1.	26 May 1991	Aguascalientes, Mexico	Hard	Kirsten Dreyer	6–7⁽⁴⁾, 3–6
Winner	2.	9 March 1992	Monterrey, Mexico	Hard	Belkis Rodríguez	6–3, 2–6, 6–3
Runner-up	2.	3 October 1993	Monterrey, Mexico	Clay	Lucila Becerra	3–6, 5–7

Doubles: 9 (6–3)[]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1.	4 March 1990	León, Mexico	Clay	Yoannis Montesino	Hortensia Hernandez Alicia Meraz	6–0, 6–4
Winner	2.	19 August 1990	Pesaro, Italy	Hard	Iluminada Concepción	Diana Chavez Jolene Watanabe	7–6, 6–2
Runner-up	1.	14 October 1990	Lima, Peru	Clay	Iluminada Concepción	Laura Arraya Karim Strohmeier	4–6, 6–7
Winner	3.	22 April 1991	Villahermosa, Mexico	Hard	Belkis Rodríguez	Olga Limon Isabela Petrov	6–4, 5–7, 7–6⁽⁵⁾
Winner	4.	13 May 1991	San Luis Potosí, Mexico	Hard	Belkis Rodríguez	Xóchitl Escobedo Isabela Petrov	6–4, 1–6, 6–3
Runner-up	2.	4 November 1991	Florianópolis, Brazil	Clay	Belkis Rodríguez	Paula Cabezas Macarena Miranda	6–3, 2–6, 2–6
Winner	5.	11 November 1991	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Clay	Belkis Rodríguez	Paula Cabezas Macarena Miranda	6–2, 6–3
Runner-up	3.	9 March 1992	Monterrey, Mexico	Hard	Belkis Rodríguez	Lucila Becerra Vincenza Procacci	4–6, 4–6
Winner	6.	20 September 1993	Guadalajara, Mexico	Clay	Belkis Rodríguez	Adriana Garcia Yoannis Montesino	6–3, 6–1

References[]

^ "She Feels Rosy After Defecting Out of the Blue : Cuban, Acting on Impulse, Bolted at a Tennis Tournament in Mexico". Los Angeles Times. 26 March 1994.

External links[]

Rita Pichardo at the Women's Tennis Association
Rita Pichardo at the Billie Jean King Cup
Rita Pichardo at the International Tennis Federation

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[1] "She Feels Rosy After Defecting Out of the Blue : Cuban, Acting on Impulse, Bolted at a Tennis Tournament in Mexico". Los Angeles Times. 26 March 1994.

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