# 1981 Australian Open – Women's singles qualifying

This article displays the qualifying draw for women's singles at the 1981 Australian Open.

## Seeds

* Marcella Mesker (first round)
* Catherine Tanvier (qualified)
* Amanda Tobin (qualified)
* Carol Baily (qualifying competition)
* Jane Preyer (first round)
* Debbie Freeman (qualifying competition)
* Kateřina Skronská (qualified)
* Brenda Remilton-Ward (qualified)

## Qualifiers

* Helena Suková
* Brenda Remilton-Ward
* Karen Gulley
* Kim Steinmetz
* Helga Lütten
* Amanda Tobin
* Kateřina Skronská
* Catherine Tanvier

## Qualifying 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

### First qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 1 | Marcella Mesker | 7 | 3 | 3 | | | |
| | Chris O'Neil | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | Chris O'Neil | 6 | 6 | 6 | Chris O'Neil | 3 | 4 |
| | | | | | Helena Suková | 6 | 6 |
| | Helena Suková | 6 | 6 | | Helena Suková | 6 | 6 |
| | Brenda Catton | 3 | 2 | | | | |

### Second qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| | Naoko Sato | 7 | 5 | 0 | | | | | |
| | Mimmi Wikstedt | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Mimmi Wikstedt | 6 | 7 | 6 | | Mimmi Wikstedt | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| | | | | | 8 | Brenda Remilton-Ward | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| | Linda Cassell | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | Brenda Remilton-Ward | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Brenda Remilton-Ward | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Third qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 4 | Carol Baily | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Bernadette Randall | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Bernadette Randall | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Carol Baily | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | | Karen Gulley | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| | Karen Gulley | 6 | 5 | 6 | | Karen Gulley | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| | Renata Šašak | 1 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |

### Fourth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| | Ann Henricksson | 1 | 4 | | | | |
| | Kim Steinmetz | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Kim Steinmetz | 6 | 6 | | Kim Steinmetz | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | Elizabeth Little | 6 | 4 |
| | Elizabeth Little | 6 | 7 | 7 | Elizabeth Little | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | Jane Preyer | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | |

### Fifth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 6 | Debbie Freeman | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Kerryn Pratt | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Kerryn Pratt | 3 | 4 | | 6 | Debbie Freeman | 3 | 3 |
| | | | | | | Helga Lütten | 6 | 6 |
| | Helga Lütten | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Helga Lütten | 6 | 6 |
| | Lucy Gordon | 7 | 3 | 2 | | | | |

### Sixth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| | Brenda Perry | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Sharon Hodgkin | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Sharon Hodgkin | 6 | 6 | | Sharon Hodgkin | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| | | | | 3 | Amanda Tobin | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| | Debbie Chesterton | 4 | 3 | 3 | Amanda Tobin | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | Amanda Tobin | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Seventh qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 7 | Kateřina Skronská | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Pam Whytcross | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | Pam Whytcross | 2 | 1 | | 7 | Kateřina Skronská | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | Elizabeth Gordon | 3 | 3 |
| | Elizabeth Gordon | 5 | 7 | 6 | | Elizabeth Gordon | 3 | 3 |
| | Sophie Amiach | 7 | 6 | 4 | | | | |

### Eighth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| | Elizabeth Smylie | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| | Maree Booth | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Maree Booth | 6 | 6 | | Maree Booth | 3 | 6 |
| | | | | 2 | Catherine Tanvier | 6 | 7 |
| | Chris Newton | 3 | 3 | 2 | Catherine Tanvier | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | Catherine Tanvier | 6 | 6 | | | | |