# 1971 Italian Open – Men's singles

The 1971 Italian Open – Men's singles was an event of the 1971 Italian Open tennis tournament and was played at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy from 3 May through 10 May 1971. Ilie Năstase was the defending champion but did not compete in this edition. Fourth-seeded Rod Laver claimed the singles title, defeating Jan Kodeš in the final, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4.

## Seeds

* John Newcombe (quarterfinals)
* Arthur Ashe (semifinals)
* Cliff Drysdale (quarterfinals)
* Rod Laver (champion)
* Stan Smith (quarterfinals)
* Tom Okker (semifinals)
* Roy Emerson (quarterfinals)
* Tony Roche (third 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

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Arthur Ashe | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Roy Emerson | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Roy Emerson | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | Arthur Ashe | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Rod Laver | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Rod Laver | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Rod Laver | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Stan Smith | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Stan Smith | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | 4 | Rod Laver | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan Kodeš | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Tom Okker | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan Kodeš | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Cliff Drysdale | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Cliff Drysdale | 3 | 4 | | 6 | Tom Okker | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Jan Kodeš | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Jan Kodeš | 2 | 6 | 7 | | Jan Kodeš | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 1 | John Newcombe | 6 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | 2 | A Ashe | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Panatta | 6 | 6 | 6 | | A Panatta | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Bowrey | 1 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | 2 | A Ashe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | R Taylor | 3 | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | B Fairlie | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Taylor | 6 | 6 | | | R Taylor | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| P Dent | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | A Ashe | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | R Emerson | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| | | | | 7 | R Emerson | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| N Pilić | 7 | 6 | | | N Pilić | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Ruffels | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | 7 | R Emerson | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | D Ralston | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | D Ralston | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| O Davidson | 6 | 5 | 1 | | B Jovanović | 5 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Jovanović | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 | R Laver | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| T Ulrich | 6 | 4 | 4 | | T Gorman | 1 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| T Gorman | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | R Laver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | E di Matteo | 4 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | M Riessen | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Stone | 2 | 2 | | | E di Matteo | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E di Matteo | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | R Laver | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | S Smith | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| | | | | 5 | S Smith | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Barth | 6 | 1 | 6 | | R Barth | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| F Bartoni | 1 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | 5 | S Smith | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | A Zugarelli | 6 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| | | | | | C Pasarell | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Alexander | 4 | 6 | 3 | | A Zugarelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Zugarelli | 6 | 1 | 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 |
| I El Shafei | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| D Crealy | 4 | 2 | | | I El Shafei | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Ž Franulović | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Ž Franulović | 7 | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| M Cox | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | T Okker | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| J Leschly | 6 | 3 | 4 | | M Cox | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 6 | T Okker | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | T Okker | 6 | 6 |
| N Pietrangeli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | C Drysdale | 3 | 4 |
| C Barazzutti | 4 | 4 | | | N Pietrangeli | 5 | r | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | A Gimeno | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | A Gimeno | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| P Toci | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | C Drysdale | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| B Maud | 6 | 7 | | | B Maud | 2 | 7 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 3 | C Drysdale | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 |
| F Stolle | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S Palmieri | 1 | 2 | | | F Stolle | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | J Kodeš | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | J Kodeš | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | |
| M di Domenico | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | T Roche | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| F McMillan | 3 | 4 | | | M di Domenico | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 8 | T Roche | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | J Kodeš | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| G Stilwell | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| G Majoli | 6 | 6 | | | G Majoli | 2 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | B Lutz | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | B Lutz | 3 | 1 | | | | | | |
| B Carmichael | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| V Franchitti | 4 | 6 | 6 | | V Franchitti | 4 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |