# 1978 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Women's singles

Laura duPont was the defending champion but was upset in her first match against Kate Latham. College amateur Dana Gilbert won the title beating Viviana González in the final.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Mima Jaušovec (first round)
* Virginia Ruzici (third round)
* Kathy May (first round)
* Janet Newberry (semifinals)
* Laura duPont (second round)
* Jeanne Evert (semifinals)
* Yvonne Vermaak (second round)
* Jeanne DuVall (quarterfinals)

## 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 | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Viviana González | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kate Latham | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kate Latham | 5 | 5 | | | Viviana González | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Janet Newberry | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| 4 | Janet Newberry | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Janet Newberry | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Caroline Stoll | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Caroline Stoll | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | Viviana González | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | WC | Dana Gilbert | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Jeanne Evert | 6 | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | WC | Dana Gilbert | 6 | 6 |
| | Valerie Ziegenfuss | 7 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Valerie Ziegenfuss | 7 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Jeanne Evert | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | WC | Dana Gilbert | 1 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| 8 | Jeanne DuVall | 3 | 4 | | WC | Dana Gilbert | 1 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| WC | Dana Gilbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| 1 | M Jaušovec | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | V González | 1 | 6 | 6 | | V González | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | G Coles | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | V González | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | P Smith | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | C Reynolds | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen | 6 | 5 | 1 | | P Smith | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | P Smith | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | V González | 7 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | K Latham | 5 | 5 |
| | | | | | | P Whytcross | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | Z Liess | 6 | 6 | | | Z Liess | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | B Bruning | 2 | 2 | | | | | | Z Liess | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | |
| | K Latham | 6 | 6 | | | | | | K Latham | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | P Medrado | 1 | 4 | | | K Latham | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | L duPont | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | |

#### 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 |
| | | | | | 4 | J Newberry | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | K Jordan | 6 | 7 | | WC | K Jordan | 6 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Casabianca | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | 4 | J Newberry | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | D Desfor | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | H Anliot | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | P Teeguarden | 7 | 6 | | | P Teeguarden | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | H Anliot | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | J Newberry | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | Y Vermaak | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | C Stoll | 2 | 1 |
| | I Madruga | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | Y Vermaak | 7 | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | R Gerulaitis | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | R Gerulaitis | 0 | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | C Stoll | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | S McInerney | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Collins | 1 | 3 | | | C Stoll | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Stoll | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 6 | J Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Overton | 2 | 6 | 3 | | C O'Neil | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C O'Neil | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | J Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | P Louie | 5 | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | B Jordan | 7 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Louie | 6 | 4 | 6 | | P Louie | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kuykendall | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | J Evert | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| | L Hunt | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | V Ziegenfuss | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| | C Doerner | 7 | 6 | | | C Doerner | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | V Ziegenfuss | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | V Ziegenfuss | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | C Meyer | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Q | N Ornstein | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Meyer | 6 | 6 | | | C Meyer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | K May | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | L Forood | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Harris | 5 | 4 | | S Walsh | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Walsh | 7 | 6 | | | | | | L Forood | 7 | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | 8 | J DuVall | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | Q | M Gurdal | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Hallquist | 1 | 2 | 8 | J DuVall | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | J DuVall | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | J DuVall | 3 | 4 |
| Q | S Yonezawa | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | WC | D Gilbert | 6 | 6 |
| WC | D Gilbert | 6 | 6 | WC | D Gilbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | F Thibault | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | WC | D Gilbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | H Sparre-Viragh | 3 | 3 | | | | | 2 | V Ruzici | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | A Tobin | 6 | 6 | | A Tobin | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 2 | V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |