# 1981 Tel Aviv Open – Singles

Harold Solomon was the defending champion, but did not participate this year.
Mel Purcell won the tournament, beating Per Hjertquist in the final, 6–1, 6–1.

## Seeds

* Mel Purcell (champion)
* Shlomo Glickstein (quarterfinals)
* Vincent Van Patten (quarterfinals)
* Ilie Năstase (second round)
* Per Hjertquist (final)
* Steve Krulevitz (semifinals)
* Matt Doyle (first round)
* Klaus Eberhard (semifinals)

## 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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Mel Purcell | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | |
| 6 | Steve Krulevitz | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| 6 | Steve Krulevitz | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Mel Purcell | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | 5 | Per Hjertquist | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Per Hjertquist | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Per Hjertquist | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Klaus Eberhard | 7 | 3 | 3 | | | | |

### Top half

| 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 | Semifinals |
| 1 | M Purcell | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Feaver | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Pils | 2 | 6 | 6 | | Bernhard Pils | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Holroyd | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 1 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | D Siegler | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | E Wilborts | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | E Wilborts | 6 | 6 | | | E Wilborts | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Reininger | 6 | 6 | | | R Reininger | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | M Doyle | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Purcell | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | V Van Patten | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | S Krulevitz | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| | C Mayotte | 3 | 2 | | 3 | V Van Patten | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Webb | 2 | 3 | | Q | H Theissen | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | H Theissen | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | V Van Patten | 5 | 3 | | | | | |
| | V Winitsky | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 6 | S Krulevitz | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | J-L Haillet | 1 | 5 | | | V Winitsky | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Schneider | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | S Krulevitz | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | S Krulevitz | 2 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| 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 | Semifinals |
| 5 | P Hjertquist | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | F Punčec | 4 | 1 | | 5 | P Hjertquist | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Meister | 6 | 4 | 4 | | P Feigl | 7 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Feigl | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | P Hjertquist | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | D Stockton | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | D Stockton | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | M Vines | 1 | 6 | | | D Stockton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Okker | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | I Năstase | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | I Năstase | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | P Hjertquist | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | K Eberhard | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | K Eberhard | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| | A Mansdorf | 1 | 6 | 2 | 8 | K Eberhard | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Arthur Anastopoulo | 6 | 7 | | | Arthur Anastopoulo | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A El Dawoudi | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | 8 | K Eberhard | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | L Sanders | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | S Glickstein | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | S Perkiss | 6 | 6 | 4 | | L Sanders | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Gurfein | 4 | 3 | | 2 | S Glickstein | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |