# 1980 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Men's singles

Eighth-seed José Luis Clerc claimed the title and first prize money of $28,000 by defeating qualifier Mel Purcell 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.
* Gene Mayer (third round)
* Harold Solomon (third round)
* Eddie Dibbs (quarterfinals)
* Ivan Lendl (second round)
* José Higueras (semifinals)
* Wojciech Fibak (quarterfinals)
* Hans Gildemeister (first round)
* José Luis Clerc (champion)
* Victor Amaya (second round)
* Eliot Teltscher (quarterfinals)
* Raúl Ramírez (first round)
* Phil Dent (second round)
* Kim Warwick (third round)
* Hank Pfister (second round)
* Colin Dibley (first round)
* Terry Moor (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

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 15 | Terry Moor | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 | | 8 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | José Higueras | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| 10 | Eliot Teltscher | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | José Higueras | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| 5 | José Higueras | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | José Higueras | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | 8 | José Luis Clerc | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | Q | Mel Purcell | 5 | 3 |
| | Mario Martinez | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | Q | Mel Purcell | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | Eddie Dibbs | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Eddie Dibbs | 6 | 2 | | | Mario Martinez | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | Q | Mel Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 6 | Wojciech Fibak | 1 | 3 | | Q | Mel Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | Mel Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| 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 | G Mayer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Shiras | 1 | 0 | 1 | G Mayer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Núñez | 6 | 6 | Q | J Núñez | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Ball | 3 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | G Mayer | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | L Palin | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 16 | T Moor | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Á Betancur | 4 | 6 | | L Palin | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Nealon | 2 | 2 | 16 | T Moor | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | T Moor | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 16 | T Moor | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | K Warwick | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 |
| | S Glickstein | 2 | 3 | 13 | K Warwick | 7 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | F Maynetto | 6 | 6 | | F Maynetto | 6 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Montaño | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 13 | K Warwick | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | R Ycaza | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | C Dowdeswell | 4 | 3 | Q | R Ycaza | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Simonsson | 4 | 3 | 8 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | JL Clerc | 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 | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | I Lendl | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Cano | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | I Lendl | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Freyss | 6 | 6 | | | C Freyss | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Lloyd | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | C Freyss | 2 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | B Martin | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | B Willenborg | 3 | 4 | | | B Martin | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fillol | 4 | 0 | | 10 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | E Teltscher | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 11 | R Ramírez | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | J Higueras | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Q | J Hayes | 6 | 2 | 6 | Q | J Hayes | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Vizcaíno | 2 | 6 | 6 | Q | R Vizcaíno | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Freeman | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | Q | J Hayes | 5 | 6 | 1 | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | J Higueras | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 2 | 2 | | | D Carter | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Soares | 1 | 5 | | 5 | J Higueras | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | J Higueras | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 7 | H Gildemeister | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | | Q | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Cahill | 6 | 6 | | | M Cahill | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Gattiker | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | Q | JL Damiani | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Kodeš | 2 | 4 | | | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 6 | 7 | | | P Kronk | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | C Dibley | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Martinez | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | V Amaya | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | E Dibbs | 6 | 2 |
| | C Owens | 4 | 2 | | 9 | V Amaya | 6 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | P Hjertquist | 6 | 7 | | | P Hjertquist | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | W Maher | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | P Hjertquist | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| | R Krishnan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | E Dibbs | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | G Masters | 1 | 2 | | | R Krishnan | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Gómez | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | E Dibbs | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | E Dibbs | 3 | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 6 | W Fibak | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | V Winitsky | 5 | 6 | 1 | 6 | W Fibak | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | | M Edmondson | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Grant | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | 6 | W Fibak | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Ž Franulović | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | Ž Franulović | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | R Case | 5 | 1 | | | Ž Franulović | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | G Aubone | 6 | 5 | | 12 | P Dent | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | P Dent | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | W Fibak | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | H Pfister | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Q | M Purcell | 6 | 6 |
| | J James | 3 | 3 | | 14 | H Pfister | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Purcell | 6 | 3 | | Q | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Portes | 0 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | Q | M Purcell | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | F Luna | 7 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | H Solomon | 6 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | S Birner | 6 | 6 | 1 | | F Luna | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fagel | 2 | 4 | | 2 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |