# 1981 South Australian Open – Singles

Mark Edmondson won the title, defeating Brad Drewett 7–5, 6–2 in the final.

## Seeds

* n/a
* Colin Dibley (first round)
* Tim Gullikson (quarterfinals)
* Chris Lewis (second round)
* Mark Edmondson (champion)
* Eddie Edwards (semifinals)
* Syd Ball (semifinals)
* Geoff Masters (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

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Brad Drewett | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 6 | Eddie Edwards | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| 6 | Eddie Edwards | 6 | 3 | 4 | | Brad Drewett | 5 | 2 |
| | | | | | 5 | Mark Edmondson | 7 | 6 |
| 5 | Mark Edmondson | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Mark Edmondson | 7 | 6 |
| 7 | Syd Ball | 7 | 2 | 4 | | | | |

### 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 |
| | R Case | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Johnston | 5 | 6 | 3 | | R Case | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 6 | 7 | | | B Drewett | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fisher | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | B Drewett | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | C Wittus | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | C Johnstone | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | B Guan | 5 | 3 | | Q | C Wittus | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Johnstone | 6 | 6 | | | C Johnstone | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | G Masters | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | B Drewett | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | C Lewis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | E Edwards | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| | P Cash | 3 | 1 | | 4 | C Lewis | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Pascoe | 3 | 6 | 6 | | W Pascoe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J DiLouie | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | W Pascoe | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| | J Gurfein | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | E Edwards | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | J James | 4 | 4 | | | J Gurfein | 6 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | U Marten | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 | E Edwards | 7 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | E Edwards | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 5 | M Edmondson | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | P Doohan | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | M Edmondson | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | G Holroyd | 3 | 6 | 6 | Q | G Holroyd | 6 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Masur | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | 5 | M Edmondson | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | H Hansson | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | T Gullikson | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | M Hunter | 5 | 6 | 1 | | H Hansson | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Letcher | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | T Gullikson | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | T Gullikson | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | M Edmondson | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | S Ball | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | S Ball | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| | C A Miller | 3 | 4 | | 7 | S Ball | 7 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Sison | 6 | 2 | 6 | Q | B Sison | 5 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Hampson | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 7 | S Ball | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 5 | | | | | |
| | J Smith | 3 | 4 | | | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Collings | 7 | 6 | | | D Collings | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | C Dibley | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |