# 1998 Thalgo Australian Women's Hardcourts – Singles

Elena Likhovtseva was the defending champion but lost in the second round to Maria Vento.
Ai Sugiyama won in the final 7–5, 6–0 against Vento.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top two seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (quarterfinals)
* Ruxandra Dragomir (quarterfinals)
* n/a
* Ai Sugiyama (champion)
* Patty Schnyder (second round)
* Joannette Kruger (first round)
* Elena Likhovtseva (second round)
* Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (first 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

### Final

| Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Maria Vento | 5 | 0 | |
| 4 | Ai Sugiyama | 7 | 6 | |

### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | N Pratt | 5 | 2 | | | C Morariu | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Morariu | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 0 | r | | | | |
| | M Serna | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | M Vento | 4 | | | | | |
| | M Vento | 6 | 6 | | | M Vento | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | O Barabanschikova | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | E Likhovtseva | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | E Likhovtseva | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | M Vento | 6 | 6 |
| LL | J Kandarr | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | Q | S Plischke | 2 | 3 |
| | E Gagliardi | 6 | 4 | 3 | LL | J Kandarr | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Courtois | 7 | 4 | 5 | | M de Swardt | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M de Swardt | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | M de Swardt | 6 | 4 | | | | |
| WC | K Kunce | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | Q | S Plischke | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | S Plischke | 6 | 6 | | Q | S Plischke | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Grande | 4 | 4 | | 5 | P Schnyder | 7 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | P Schnyder | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| 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 |
| 6 | J Kruger | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Pitkowski | 6 | 3 | 6 | | S Pitkowski | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Chládková | 7 | 2 | 7 | | D Chládková | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Endo | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | S Pitkowski | 0 | 5 | | | | | |
| Q | C Barclay | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | 4 | A Sugiyama | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 5 | 6 | | Q | C Barclay | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Maleeva | 5 | 2 | | 4 | A Sugiyama | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | A Sugiyama | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | A Sugiyama | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | A-G Sidot | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | S-T Wang | 4 | 5 |
| | S-T Wang | 3 | 6 | 6 | | S-T Wang | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R McQuillan | 6 | 6 | | | R McQuillan | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K-A Guse | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | S-T Wang | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | J Lee | 7 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | 2 | R Dragomir | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | M Grzybowska | 5 | 6 | 7 | | M Grzybowska | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | R Dragomir | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |