# 1980 South American Championships – Singles

Guillermo Vilas was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
José Luis Clerc won in the final 6–7, 2–6, 7–5, 6–0, 6–3 against Rolf Gehring.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* n/a
* José Luis Clerc (champion)
* Víctor Pecci (semifinals)
* Hans Gildemeister (quarterfinals)
* Mario Martinez (second round)
* Rolf Gehring (final)
* Andrés Gómez (quarterfinals)
* Marcos Hocevar (second 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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 6 | Rolf Gehring | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Víctor Pecci | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Víctor Pecci | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | Rolf Gehring | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| | | | | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| | Jose Luis Damiani | 0 | 4 | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| LL | P Elter | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Gattiker | 6 | 2 | 5 | LL | P Elter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Eberhard | 6 | 6 | 6 | | K Eberhard | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Guerrero | 7 | 4 | 0 | | | | | | LL | P Elter | 7 | 5 | 3 | | | | | |
| | C Kirmayr | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | R Gehring | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G Tiberti | 4 | 4 | | | C Kirmayr | 7 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Simonsson | 3 | 5 | | 6 | R Gehring | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | R Gehring | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | R Gehring | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | V Pecci | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | V Pecci | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| | J Soares | 3 | 4 | | 3 | V Pecci | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Cano | 6 | 6 | | | R Cano | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Motta | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 3 | V Pecci | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | C Freyss | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 7 | A Gómez | 1 | 3 | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 3 | 6 | | | C Freyss | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Casa | 1 | 6 | 4 | 7 | A Gómez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | A Gómez | 6 | 2 | 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 | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 5 | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J James | 1 | 2 | | 5 | M Martinez | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J L Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | J L Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Prajoux | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | J L Damiani | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | Á Giménez | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | H Gildemeister | 5 | 1 | | | | |
| | J Velasco, Sr. | 5 | 3 | | | Á Giménez | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Á Betancur | 0 | 0$^r$ | | | H Gildemeister | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | J L Damiani | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | M Hocevar | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | J L Clerc | 6 | 6 |
| | R Fagel | 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | M Hocevar | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Ycaza | 3 | 6 | 6 | | R Ycaza | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Bedel | 6 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | R Ycaza | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | T Koch | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | J L Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | R Carruthers | 6 | 3 | | | T Koch | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Bengoechea | 3 | 0 | | 2 | J L Clerc | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J L Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |