# 1981 Bristol Open – Singles

Mark Edmondson won the title, defeating Roscoe Tanner 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 in the final.

## Seeds

* Roscoe Tanner (final)
* Johan Kriek (semifinals)
* Stan Smith (second round)
* Paul McNamee (semifinals)
* Bill Scanlon (second round)
* Buster Mottram (second round)
* Phil Dent (quarterfinals)
* Chris Lewis (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 | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Roscoe Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Paul McNamee | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| 4 | Paul McNamee | 4 | 4 | 1 | Roscoe Tanner | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| | | | | | Mark Edmondson | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| | Mark Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | Mark Edmondson | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | Johan Kriek | 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 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | R Tanner | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Frawley | 6 | 4 | | 1 | R Tanner | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Meyer | 6 | 6 | | | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fitzgerald | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | 1 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | 13 | | | | |
| | H Pfister | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | 7 | P Dent | 7 | 3 | 11 | | | | |
| | O Parun | 7 | 6 | | | O Parun | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 1 | r | | 7 | P Dent | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | P Dent | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | P McNamee | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | P McNamee | 4 | 4 |
| | I Năstase | 6 | 4 | | 4 | P McNamee | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Hightower | 2 | 6 | 6 | | R Hightower | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Austin | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | P McNamee | 5 | 6 | 8 | | | | |
| | A Pattison | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | T Mayotte | 7 | 0 | 6 | | | | |
| | T Mayotte | 6 | 6 | | | T Mayotte | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Roger-Vasselin | 2 | 2 | | 6 | B Mottram | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | B Mottram | 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 |
| 8 | C Lewis | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | | M Edmondson | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | I El Shafei | 6 | 6 | | | I El Shafei | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | T Giammalva | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Simpson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | R Simpson | 2 | 0 | | | | |
| | J DiLouie | 6 | 3 | | | R Simpson | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Mitton | 5 | 4 | | 3 | S Smith | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | S Smith | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | B Scanlon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | J Kriek | 2 | 4 |
| | R Reininger | 3 | 0 | | 5 | B Scanlon | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Gullikson | 7 | 6 | | | T Gullikson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | T Gullikson | 5 | 4 | | | | |
| | B Walts | 7 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 2 | J Kriek | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | D Carter | 5 | 6 | 6 | | D Carter | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 4 | 4 | | 2 | J Kriek | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J Kriek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |