# 1979 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Men's singles

Top-seed Jimmy Connors claimed the title and first prize money of $25,000 by defeating third-seeded Guillermo Vilas in the final.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Jimmy Connors (champion)
* John McEnroe (semifinals)
* Guillermo Vilas (final)
* José Higueras (semifinals)
* José Luis Clerc (quarterfinals)
* Gene Mayer (first round)
* Wojciech Fibak (third round)
* Manuel Orantes (quarterfinals)
* Eliot Teltscher (third round)
* Balázs Taróczy (third round)
* Corrado Barazzutti (quarterfinals)
* Tomáš Šmíd (third round)
* Ivan Lendl (quarterfinals)
* Peter Feigl (first round)
* Chris Lewis (second round)
* Peter McNamara (third round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Ivan Lendl | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Ivan Lendl | 2 | 6 | 1 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | 4 | José Higueras | 2 | 5 | | | | | |
| 4 | José Higueras | 6 | 6 | 4 | José Higueras | 2 | 5 | | | | | |
| 11 | Corrado Barazzutti | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Corrado Barazzutti | 4 | 1 | | | | | 1 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | José Luis Clerc | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 6 | 7 | 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | 2 | John McEnroe | 4 | 5 | | | | | |
| 8 | Manuel Orantes | 3 | 3 | 2 | John McEnroe | 4 | 5 | | | | | |
| 2 | John McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | J Connors | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 4 | 5 | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Složil | 6 | 6 | | | P Složil | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Dalla Fontana | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 5 | 6 | 9 | | | | |
| Q | W Maher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | B Taróczy | 7 | 1 | 7 | | | | |
| | J Marks | 2 | 2 | | Q | W Maher | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Montaño | 0 | 0 | | 10 | B Taróczy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | B Taróczy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 7 |
| 13 | I Lendl | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | I Lendl | 2 | 6 |
| | R Case | 5 | 1 | | 13 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J James | 3 | 3 | | | P Kronk | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 13 | I Lendl | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| Q | R Drysdale | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | J Fillol | 2 | 5 | | | | | |
| Q | Z Guerry | 6 | 6 | | Q | Z Guerry | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fillol | 1 | 6 | 6 | | J Fillol | 6 | 2 | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | G Mayer | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Crawford | 2 | 2 | | 4 | J Higueras | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Dowdeswell | 6 | 3 | | | P McNamee | 0 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P McNamee | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | H Schoenfield | 7 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | 16 | P McNamara | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
| | D Joubert | 6 | 6 | 0 | | H Schoenfield | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F McNair | 2 | 0 | | 16 | P McNamara | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 |
| 11 | C Barazzutti | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | C Barazzutti | 4 | 1 |
| | C Stansbury | 3 | r | | 11 | C Barazzutti | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Hřebec | 6 | 6 | | | J Hřebec | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Lapidus | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | 11 | C Barazzutti | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | 7 | W Fibak | 2 | 7 | 4 | | | | |
| | J Lloyd | 6 | 7 | | | J Lloyd | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Maurer | 2 | 2 | | 7 | W Fibak | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | W Fibak | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 5 | JL Clerc | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Núñez | 2 | 6 | | 5 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Pattison | 3 | 5 | | | N Saviano | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 5 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | K Warwick | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 9 | E Teltscher | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| Q | L Bourne | 6 | 0 | | | K Warwick | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Bohrnstedt | 1 | 0$^r$ | | 9 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | E Teltscher | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | JL Clerc | 3 | 6 |
| 12 | T Šmíd | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 7 |
| | M Shore | 1 | 1 | | 12 | T Šmíd | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 6 | 6 | | | B Drewett | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | N Phillips | 1 | 0 | | | | | | 12 | T Šmíd | 1 | 4 | | | | |
| | S Krulevitz | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | | 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | V Winitsky | 4 | 6 | 6 | | V Winitsky | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Purcell | 2 | 2 | | 3 | G Vilas | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 8 | M Orantes | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | T Mayotte | 5 | 5 | | 8 | M Orantes | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Collings | 4 | 3 | | Q | M Grant | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Grant | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | M Orantes | 4 | | | | | |
| | H Ismail | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | A Gómez | 2$^r$ | | | | | |
| | A Gómez | 4 | 6 | 6 | | A Gómez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Kodeš | 5 | 3 | | 15 | C Lewis | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | C Lewis | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | M Orantes | 3 | 3 |
| 14 | P Feigl | 6 | 2$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 |
| | R Ycaza | 7 | 4 | | | R Ycaza | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Roger-Vasselin | 6 | 3 | 4 | | J Andrew | 4 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Andrew | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | R Ycaza | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | R Van't Hof | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | 2 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Krishnan | 4 | 6 | 6 | | R Krishnan | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Cahill | 5 | 1 | | 2 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J McEnroe | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |