# 1987 Paine Webber Classic – Singles

Ivan Lendl was the two-time defending champion, but did not compete this year.
Christo van Rensburg won the title by defeating Jimmy Connors 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 in the final.

## Seeds

* Jimmy Connors (final)
* Andrés Gómez (second round)
* Tim Mayotte (semifinals)
* Brad Gilbert (semifinals)
* Johan Kriek (first round)
* Robert Seguso (first round)
* Aaron Krickstein (first round)
* Tim Wilkison (quarterfinals)

## 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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Jimmy Connors | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Brad Gilbert | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
| 4 | Brad Gilbert | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | Jimmy Connors | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| | | | | | | Christo van Rensburg | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | Tim Mayotte | 6 | 6 | 4 | | Christo van Rensburg | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | Christo van Rensburg | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | J Connors | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | K Evernden | 6 | 2 | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Holmes | 6 | 7 | 7 | | G Holmes | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | H Pfister | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 5 | | | | | | |
| | E Edwards | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | T Wilkison | 2 | 2$^r$ | | | | | | |
| | G Donnelly | 6 | 4 | 1 | | E Edwards | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Pate | 4 | 2 | | 8 | T Wilkison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | T Wilkison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | B Gilbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | B Gilbert | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| WC | M Dickson | 1 | 4 | | 4 | B Gilbert | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Anger | 6 | 6 | | | M Anger | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Brown | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | 4 | B Gilbert | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | JP Fleurian | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | M Freeman | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | |
| | M Freeman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | M Freeman | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Witsken | 6 | 6 | | | T Witsken | 7 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | J Kriek | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 6 | R Seguso | 1 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Teltscher | 6 | 4 | 6 | | E Teltscher | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Annacone | 6 | 6 | | | P Annacone | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Purcell | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | P Annacone | 1 | 5 | | | | | | |
| WC | J Ross | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | 3 | T Mayotte | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | C Steyn | 6 | 6 | | | C Steyn | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | J Berger | 4 | 6 | | 3 | T Mayotte | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | T Mayotte | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | T Mayotte | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 7 | A Krickstein | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | C van Rensburg | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| | S Davis | 6 | 6 | | | S Davis | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C van Rensburg | 6 | 6 | | | C van Rensburg | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Giammalva Jr. | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | C van Rensburg | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | D Rostagno | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | D Rostagno | 6 | 1 | 5 | | | | | |
| | G Layendecker | 3 | 4 | | | D Rostagno | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Pearce | 3 | 3 | | 2 | A Gómez | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | A Gómez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |