# 1979 Australian Open – Men's singles

Defending champion Guillermo Vilas defeated John Sadri in the final, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 6–3, 6–2 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1979 Australian Open. It was his second Australian Open title and fourth and last major singles title overall.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Guillermo Vilas is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Guillermo Vilas (champion)
* John Alexander (first round)
* Victor Amaya (semifinals)
* Hank Pfister (first round)
* Balázs Taróczy (first round)
* John Sadri (final)
* Tim Wilkison (first round)
* Peter Feigl (first round)
* Peter McNamara (third round)
* Kim Warwick (third round)
* Peter Rennert (quarterfinals)
* Geoff Masters (second round)
* Phil Dent (quarterfinals)
* Ross Case (first round)
* Rod Frawley (quarterfinals)
* Paul McNamee (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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Guillermo Vilas | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Phil Dent | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Phil Dent | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Guillermo Vilas | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 3 | Victor Amaya | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 3 | Victor Amaya | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | 3 | Victor Amaya | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 11 | Peter Rennert | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Peter Rennert | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | 1 | Guillermo Vilas | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | John Sadri | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | John Sadri | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | John Sadri | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 15 | Rod Frawley | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Rod Frawley | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | | 6 | John Sadri | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Colin Dibley | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Mark Edmondson | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | | Colin Dibley | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Colin Dibley | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | G Vilas | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Lewis | 5 | 3 | 4 | | 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Gardiner | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | Q | A Gardiner | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Phillips | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Delaney | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 9 | P McNamara | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| LL | J Delaney | 5 | 4 | 5 | | | C Delaney | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | P McNamara | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | P McNamara | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| 13 | P Dent | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | P Dent | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| | J Marks | 3 | 2 | 2 | | 13 | P Dent | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | J Cohen | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | | CA Miller | 6 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | CA Miller | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 13 | P Dent | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | C Kachel | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | C Kachel | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| LL | C Fancutt | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | C Kachel | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | P Kronk | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | P Feigl | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | V Amaya | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 3 | 4 | 1 | | | 3 | V Amaya | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | D Carter | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Collings | 2 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | 3 | V Amaya | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| Q | W Hampson | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | 16 | P McNamee | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Simpson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | R Simpson | 5 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Menon | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 16 | P McNamee | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | P McNamee | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | V Amaya | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 11 | P Rennert | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | P Rennert | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Q | J Trickey | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | 11 | P Rennert | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Letcher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Q | U Marten | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | U Marten | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 | | | | | | | 11 | P Rennert | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | J Fitzgerald | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | S Krulevitz | 4 | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| | S Docherty | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | S Docherty | 4 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Krulevitz | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | S Krulevitz | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | B Taróczy | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### 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 | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 6 | J Sadri | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Doohan | 3 | 3 | 4 | | | 6 | J Sadri | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Rocavert | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | R Moore | 4 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Moore | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 6 | J Sadri | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | | | | | | |
| Q | R Ruffels | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | 10 | K Warwick | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | J James | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | J James | 3 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Carmichael | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | | 10 | K Warwick | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | K Warwick | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | J Sadri | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | R Frawley | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | R Frawley | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| | C Johnstone | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 15 | R Frawley | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Malin | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | G Malin | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F McNair | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | 15 | R Frawley | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Maze | 7 | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | Q | S Ball | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Whitecross | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | B Maze | 3 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Ball | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | Q | S Ball | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | H Pfister | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 7 | T Wilkison | 6 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Maher | 7 | 7 | 7 | | | | W Maher | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Glickstein | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | Q | S Glickstein | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 5 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | W Maher | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Mitchell | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | M Edmondson | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Siegler | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | M Mitchell | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | R Case | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | M Edmondson | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 12 | G Masters | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C Dibley | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| | D Schneider | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 12 | G Masters | 5 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | P Davies | 5 | 3 | 3 | | | | T Roche | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Roche | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | T Roche | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | C Dibley | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | C Dibley | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | J Austin | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | | | C Dibley | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fisher | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | R Fisher | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |