# 1981 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Women's doubles

Second-seeded JoAnne Russell and Virginia Ruzici won the title and $9,600 first-prize money after defeating Sue Barker and Paula Smith in the final.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Andrea Jaeger / Anne Smith (semifinals)
* JoAnne Russell / Virginia Ruzici (champions)
* Sue Barker / Paula Smith (final)
* Regina Maršíková / Mary Lou Piatek (quarterfinals)
* Mima Jaušovec / Renáta Tomanová (second round)
* Laura duPont / Barbara Jordan (second round)
* Rosalyn Fairbank / Kim Sands (quarterfinals)
* Sandy Collins / Hana Strachoňová (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 |
| 1 | Andrea Jaeger Anne Smith | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | Sue Barker Paula Smith | 1 | 7 | 8 | | | | |
| 3 | Sue Barker Paula Smith | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | Sue Barker Paula Smith | 2 | 2 |
| | | | | | 2 | JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 6 |
| | Elizabeth Little Yvonne Vermaak | 2 | 1 | | 2 | JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### 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 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | A Jaeger A Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Burgin S Jaeger | 1 | 1 | | 1 | A Jaeger A Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Copeland A Moulton | 2 | 6 | 7 | | C Copeland A Moulton | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Henry S Solomon | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | 1 | A Jaeger A Smith | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | D Rubin A Spex | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | B Remilton N Sato | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| | B Remilton N Sato | 6 | 6 | | | B Remilton N Sato | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Cummings F Raschiatore | 3 | 3 | | 6 | L duPont B Jordan | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | L duPont B Jordan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | A Jaeger A Smith | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | S Barker P Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | S Barker P Smith | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| | J Nachand P Whytcross | 1 | 0 | | 3 | S Barker P Smith | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Horvath B Norton | 3 | 4 | | | S Mascarin A White | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Mascarin A White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | S Barker P Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | D Freeman S Saliba | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | P Medrado P Vásquez | 4 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | J Portman R Richards | 6 | 3 | | | D Freeman S Saliba | 7 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Medrado P Vásquez | 2 | 7 | 6 | | P Medrado P Vásquez | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | S Collins H Strachoňová | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| 5 | M Jaušovec R Tomanová | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová J Filkoff | 1 | 5 | | 5 | M Jaušovec R Tomanová | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Little Y Vermaak | 6 | 6 | | | E Little Y Vermaak | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M-C Calleja V Nelson | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | E Little Y Vermaak | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | |
| | D Gilbert K Steinmetz | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | 4 | R Maršíková M L Piatek | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | P Casale K Rinaldi | 7 | 6 | | | P Casale K Rinaldi | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Gregory M Pinterová | 3 | 1 | | 4 | R Maršíková M L Piatek | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | R Maršíková M L Piatek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | E Little Y Vermaak | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | R Fairbank K Sands | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | J Russell V Ruzici | 6 | 6 |
| | A-M Fernandez K Keil | 3 | 2 | | 7 | R Fairbank K Sands | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Cissie Donigan J DuVall | 6 | 0 | 0 | | J Davis H Ludloff | 6 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Davis H Ludloff | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | R Fairbank K Sands | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Y Brzáková K Skronská | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | J Russell V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson K Jones | 2 | 3 | | | Y Brzáková K Skronská | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Coles D Jevans | 4 | 2 | | 2 | J Russell V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J Russell V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |