# 1988 New South Wales Open – Women's singles

Zina Garrison was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Pam Shriver won in the final 6–2, 6–3 against Helena Suková.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Pam Shriver (champion)
* Helena Suková (final)
* Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (semifinals)
* Sylvia Hanika (second round)
* Catarina Lindqvist (quarterfinals)
* n/a
* Elizabeth Smylie (second round)
* Etsuko Inoue (quarterfinals)
* Rosalyn Fairbank (second round)
* Anne Minter (third round)
* Eva Pfaff (first round)
* Jana Novotná (third round)
* Marianne Werdel (second round)
* Ann Henricksson (third round)
* n/a
* n/a

## 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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Pam Shriver | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| 3 | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | 5 | 2 | 1 | Pam Shriver | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | 2 | Helena Suková | 2 | 3 |
| | Patty Fendick | 6 | 1 | 2 | Helena Suková | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Helena Suková | 7 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Hetherington | 1 | 6 | 1 | | S Gomer | 7 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Gomer | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | W Probst | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | W Probst | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| LL | H ter Riet | 6 | 3 | 6 | | W Probst | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Dechaume | 3 | 6 | 4 | | T Mochizuki | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | T Mochizuki | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | A Minter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | C Lindqvist | 4 | 1 |
| Q | A Scott | 3 | 1 | | 10 | A Minter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Jaggard | 5 | 2 | | | L O'Neill | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L O'Neill | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | A Minter | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Tremelling | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | C Lindqvist | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| Q | D-A Hansel | 5 | 2 | | | J Tremelling | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | C Lindqvist | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 |
| | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ca MacGregor | 3 | 6 | 3 | | S Wasserman | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Wasserman | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Paradis | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | 12 | J Novotná | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | C Suire | 6 | 6 | | | C Suire | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Richardson | 6 | 4 | | 12 | J Novotná | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | J Novotná | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | A Henricksson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | E Inoue | 2 | 3 |
| | E Minter | 0 | 2 | | 14 | A Henricksson | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Cy MacGregor | 2 | 5 | | Q | M Yanagi | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Yanagi | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 14 | A Henricksson | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | L Field | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | E Inoue | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen | 3 | 6 | 6 | | B Nagelsen | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | E Inoue | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| 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 |
| | | | | | LL | J Salmon | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Fendick | 6 | 3 | 6 | | P Fendick | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Provis | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | P Fendick | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | K Radford | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | C Jolissaint | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| | H Ludloff | 6 | 2 | 6 | | H Ludloff | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Jolissaint | 6 | 4 | 7 | | C Jolissaint | 7 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Halard | 3 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | P Fendick | 6 | 7 |
| 11 | E Pfaff | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Q | B Schultz | 3 | 5 |
| | B Cordwell | 4 | 7 | 7 | | B Cordwell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Devries | 7 | 7 | | | A Devries | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Benjamin | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | B Cordwell | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | |
| | E Derly | 4 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | Q | B Schultz | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| Q | B Schultz | 6 | 6 | 7 | Q | B Schultz | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | S Hanika | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | E Smylie | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Lindström | 4 | 6 | 6 | | M Lindström | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Bollegraf | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | M Lindström | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | H Witvoet | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Q | H Witvoet | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | S Walsh-Pete | 3 | 1 | | Q | H Witvoet | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Zrubáková | 6 | 6 | | 9 | R Fairbank | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | R Fairbank | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | Q | H Witvoet | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | M Werdel | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 6 | 6 |
| | C Tanvier | 4 | 7 | 4 | 13 | M Werdel | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Krapl | 6 | 3 | | | J Durie | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Durie | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | J Durie | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | A M Fernandez | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R McQuillan | 7 | 6 | | | R McQuillan | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |