# 1981 Australian Open – Men's singles

Johan Kriek defeated Steve Denton in the final, 6–2, 7–6$^{(7–1)}$, 6–7$^{(1–7)}$, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1981 Australian Open. It was his first major title, becoming the first South African to win a singles major. Kriek was making his tournament debut.
Brian Teacher was the reigning champion, but did not compete this year.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Johan Kriek is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Guillermo Vilas (third round)
* Peter McNamara (quarterfinals)
* Roscoe Tanner (second round)
* Johan Kriek (champion)
* Kim Warwick (quarterfinals)
* Mark Edmondson (semifinals)
* Fritz Buehning (first round)
* Tim Mayotte (quarterfinals)
* Shlomo Glickstein (quarterfinals)
* John Sadri (first round)
* Chris Lewis (third round)
* Hank Pfister (semifinals)
* Pat DuPré (third round)
* Kevin Curren (second round)
* Peter Rennert (second round)
* John Fitzgerald (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* r = Retired

### Final eight

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 12 | Hank Pfister | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Kim Warwick | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Kim Warwick | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 12 | Hank Pfister | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Steve Denton | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 9 | Shlomo Glickstein | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | | Steve Denton | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | Steve Denton | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Steve Denton | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | Steve Denton | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Johan Kriek | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Tim Mayotte | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Johan Kriek | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Johan Kriek | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Johan Kriek | 7 | 6 | 7 | | 4 | Johan Kriek | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | Mark Edmondson | 0 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Mark Edmondson | 7 | 7 | 6 | | 6 | Mark Edmondson | 0 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Peter McNamara | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second 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 | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Nyström | 4 | 2 | 6 | | | 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | W Masur | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | L Stefanki | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Stefanki | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 1 | G Vilas | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | H Simonsson | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 12 | H Pfister | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | R Hightower | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | | | H Simonsson | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Bourne | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 12 | H Pfister | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | H Pfister | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | H Pfister | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 16 | J Fitzgerald | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | K Warwick | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| | P Dent | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | P Dent | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Fancutt | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | C Fancutt | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Johnstone | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | P Dent | 3 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | |
| | J Gurfein | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 5 | K Warwick | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| Q | W Pascoe | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | J Gurfein | 5 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 4 | 1 | 2 | | | 5 | K Warwick | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | K Warwick | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Whitecross | 3 | 3 | 3 | | | 3 | R Tanner | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Frawley | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | R Frawley | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Järryd | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | R Frawley | 2 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Siegler | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | 9 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Potier | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | J Potier | 3 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Dunk | 4 | 6 | 5 | | | 9 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | S Glickstein | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | S Glickstein | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 14 | K Curren | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | S Denton | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| | S Krulevitz | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | 14 | K Curren | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Edwards | 6 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | | S Denton | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Denton | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | S Denton | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | J Alexander | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | O Parun | 3 | 4 | 5 | | | | T Tulasne | 4 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Alexander | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | F Buehning | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 3

| First round | First round | 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 | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 8 | T Mayotte | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Sherbeck | 2 | 3 | 1 | | | 8 | T Mayotte | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Van't Hof | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | | R Van't Hof | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Wilkison | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | T Mayotte | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | R Simpson | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 13 | P DuPré | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Collings | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 | | R Simpson | 4 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Guan | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 13 | P DuPré | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | P DuPré | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | T Mayotte | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| 11 | C Lewis | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | J Kriek | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| | I Năstase | 4 | 3 | 2 | | | 11 | C Lewis | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Smith | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | | M Davis | 4 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Davis | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 11 | C Lewis | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | |
| Q | T Högstedt | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 4 | J Kriek | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| | S McCain | 5 | 4 | 2 | | | Q | T Högstedt | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Gitlin | 2 | 5 | 1 | | | 4 | J Kriek | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | J Kriek | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 6 | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Cash | 1 | 2 | 3 | | 6 | M Edmondson | 5 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Ball | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | | S Ball | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Meister | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 6 | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | J Delaney | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | Q | C Letcher | 2 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Mitchell | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | J Delaney | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Letcher | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Q | C Letcher | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | J Sadri | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | M Edmondson | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| 15 | P Rennert | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | P McNamara | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| | CA Miller | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 15 | P Rennert | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | | P Kronk | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Wilander | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | P Kronk | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| | R Lewis | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 2 | P McNamara | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
| | C Wittus | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | R Lewis | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 0 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | P McNamara | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |