# 1981 Volvo International – Singles

Jimmy Connors was the defending champion but lost in the third round to José Higueras.
José Luis Clerc won in the final 6–3, 6–2 against Guillermo Vilas.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Jimmy Connors (third round)
* Ivan Lendl (semifinals)
* José Luis Clerc (champion)
* Guillermo Vilas (final)
* Peter McNamara (third round)
* Roscoe Tanner (second round)
* Harold Solomon (quarterfinals)
* Eliot Teltscher (semifinals)
* Johan Kriek (third round)
* Mel Purcell (third round)
* José Higueras (quarterfinals)
* Eddie Dibbs (quarterfinals)
* Hans Gildemeister (third round)
* José Luis Damiani (third round)
* Terry Moor (first round)
* Corrado Barazzutti (first 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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 8 | Eliot Teltscher | 6 | 1 | | | | | |
| 4 | Guillermo Vilas | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Guillermo Vilas | 7 | 6 | | 4 | Guillermo Vilas | 3 | 2 |
| | | | | | 3 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Ivan Lendl | 7 | 4 | 4 | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Palin | 2 | 2 | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | V Van Patten | 6 | 6 | | V Van Patten | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fernández | 3 | 3 | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| | Á Giménez | 6 | 6 | | | | | 11 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | D Dowlen | 2 | 4 | | Á Giménez | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Denton | 3 | 3 | 11 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 11 | J Higueras | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | J Kriek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 8 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 |
| Q | M Grant | 1 | 3 | 9 | J Kriek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Moretton | 4 | 3 | | T Tulasne | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 6 | 6 | | | | | 9 | J Kriek | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | K Curren | 6 | 6 | | | | | 8 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | H Pfister | 4 | 3 | | K Curren | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Lewis | 6 | 1 | 8 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | E Teltscher | 7 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | G Vilas | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fagel | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Freyss | 7 | 6 | | | C Freyss | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Gómez | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | 4 | G Vilas | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Hjertquist | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | 13 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 4 | | | | | |
| | J Delaney | 6 | 6 | | | J Delaney | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 2 | 4 | | 13 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | G Vilas | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 16 | C Barazzutti | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | P Složil | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| | P Složil | 6 | 6 | | | P Složil | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E van Dillen | 6 | 6 | 4 | Q | J Lapidus | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Lapidus | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | P Složil | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G Urpí | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | J López-Maeso | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | J López-Maeso | 6 | 6 | | | J López-Maeso | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Ostoja | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | R Tanner | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | R Tanner | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| 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 |
| 5 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 4 | 2 | 5 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Fritz | 6 | 7 | Q | B Fritz | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Hocevar | 3 | 5 | | | | | | 5 | P McNamara | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | |
| | S Birner | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | E Dibbs | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | A Fillol | 5 | 3 | | S Birner | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C B Strode | 3 | 3 | 12 | E Dibbs | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | E Dibbs | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | E Dibbs | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | J L Clerc | 7 | 6 |
| | A Kohlberg | 4 | 4 | 10 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Günthardt | 5 | 1 | | F González | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F González | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 10 | M Purcell | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| | C Mayotte | 0 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | 3 | J L Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | G Holroyd | 6 | 1 | Q | G Holroyd | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Portes | 6 | 2 | 3 | J L Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | J L Clerc | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 |
| 7 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Prajoux | 2 | 0 | | 7 | H Solomon | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Bengoechea | 6 | 4 | 5 | | D Pérez | 5$^r$ | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Pérez | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | 7 | H Solomon | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | T Delatte | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | P Rebolledo | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | P Rebolledo | 6 | 7 | | | P Rebolledo | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | F Dalla Fontana | 6 | 3 | 6 | | F Dalla Fontana | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | T Moor | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | P Rebolledo | 3 | 2 |
| 14 | J L Damiani | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 |
| | F Taygan | 6 | 3 | | 14 | J L Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Cano | 6 | 6 | | | R Cano | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Ycaza | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 14 | J L Damiani | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | J Norbäck | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | 2 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | 6 | | M Martinez | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | W Blaze | 5 | 4 | | 2 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | I Lendl | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |