# 1998 Guardian Direct Cup – Singles

The 1998 Guardian Direct Cup was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in London, Great Britain, that was part of the International Series Gold of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the 21st edition of the tournament and was held 23 February – 1 March.

## Seeds

Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.
* Petr Korda (second round)
* Patrick Rafter (quarterfinals)
* Yevgeny Kafelnikov (champion)
* Greg Rusedski (first round)
* Richard Krajicek (first round)
* Sergi Bruguera (first round)
* Karol Kučera (quarterfinals)
* Goran Ivanišević (second 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 | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Cédric Pioline | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | Jan Siemerink | 3 | 6$^4$ | | | | |
| | Jan Siemerink | 3 | 6$^4$ | 3 | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | Cédric Pioline | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 7 | 6 | | Cédric Pioline | 5 | 4 |
| | Wayne Ferreira | 5 | 4 | | | | |

### 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 |
| 1 | P Korda | 7 | 6$^2$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Prinosil | 6$^4$ | 7 | 4 | 1 | P Korda | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Pioline | 6 | 7 | | | C Pioline | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Clavet | 1 | 6$^5$ | | | | | | | | C Pioline | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | |
| | F Dewulf | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 7 | K Kučera | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | |
| | G Blanco | 2 | 5 | | | F Dewulf | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | K Kučera | 6$^2$ | 7 | 6 | 7 | K Kučera | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Raoux | 7 | 6$^6$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | C Pioline | 6 | 7 |
| | M-K Goellner | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | J Siemerink | 3 | 6$^4$ |
| 4 | G Rusedski | 7 | 5 | 4 | | M-K Goellner | 6 | 6$^4$ | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Richardson | 6 | 2 | | | A Richardson | 4 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Rosset | 3 | 1 | R | | | | | | | M-K Goellner | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | B Ulihrach | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | J Siemerink | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Lee | 4 | 6$^4$ | | | B Ulihrach | 3 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Siemerink | 6 | 7 | | | J Siemerink | 6 | 6$^4$ | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | S Bruguera | 1 | 6$^3$ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | T Henman | 6$^5$ | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | R Krajicek | 7 | 6$^2$ | 5 | | T Henman | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Schüttler | 7 | 7 | | | R Schüttler | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Damm | 5 | 6$^3$ | | | | | | | | T Henman | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | D Vacek | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | Y Kafelnikov | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | K Alami | 6$^5$ | 4 | | | D Vacek | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Y Kafelnikov | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Y Kafelnikov | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Johansson | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Y Kafelnikov | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | G Ivanišević | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W Ferreira | 5 | 4 |
| | K Carlsen | 1 | 2 | | 8 | G Ivanišević | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Ferreira | 6$^5$ | 6 | 6 | | W Ferreira | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Wilkinson | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | W Ferreira | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | M Gustafsson | 6$^3$ | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | P Rafter | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | B Steven | 7 | 6$^3$ | 2 | | M Gustafsson | 3 | 6$^6$' | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | P Rafter | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | P Rafter | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Arazi | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |