ATP Australian Open 1981 Draw, Results & Schedule

Johan Kriek won the 1981 Australian Open, defeating Steve Denton 6-2 7-6 6-7 6-4 in the final. The Grand Slam was played on grass courts in Melbourne, Australia, from December 24, 1981 to January 7, 1982. The match log contains 62 recorded singles results for this edition.

The Australian Open opens the Grand Slam season in Melbourne and has been played at Melbourne Park since 1988.

Full tournament history →
Champion
Johan Kriek
def. Steve Denton , 6-2 7-6 6-7 6-4
Dates
Dec 24 — Jan 7
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Category
Grand Slam
Surface
Grass
Prize money
—

Results

Australian Open 1981 match log
WinnerScoreLoserH2HMatch DataDateRound
F (1)
Johan Kriek #13 6-2 7-6 6-7 6-4 Steve Denton #24 H2H Match data Jan 7, 1982* F
SF (2)
Steve Denton #24 7-6 6-7 6-1 3-6 6-3 Hank Pfister #25 H2H Match data Jan 6, 1982* SF
Johan Kriek #13 6-0 7-6 7-5 Mark Edmondson #20 H2H Match data Jan 6, 1982* SF
QF (4)
Johan Kriek #13 7-6 6-3 7-5 Tim Mayotte #30 H2H Match data Jan 4, 1982* QF
Hank Pfister #25 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-3 Kim Warwick #84 H2H Match data Jan 4, 1982* QF
Steve Denton #24 6-4 3-6 7-6 6-0 Shlomo Glickstein #33 H2H Match data Jan 4, 1982* QF
Mark Edmondson #20 7-5 7-6 6-3 Peter Mcnamara — Match data Jan 4, 1982* QF
R16 (7)
Hank Pfister #39 6-3 6-4 6-4 Guillermo Vilas #6 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Mark Edmondson #23 6-2 6-0 6-3 Cliff Letcher — Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Tim Mayotte #33 7-6 7-5 6-4 Pat Dupre #44 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Johan Kriek #19 7-5 7-5 3-6 2-6 6-4 Chris Lewis #31 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Steve Denton #54 6-7 4-6 7-6 7-5 7-6 John Alexander #75 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Shlomo Glickstein #34 6-2 6-3 6-2 Rod Frawley #89 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
Kim Warwick #29 6-3 6-3 6-0 Phil Dent #65 H2H Match data Jan 2, 1982* R16
R32 (16)
Guillermo Vilas #6 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 Larry Stefanki H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Rod Frawley #89 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 Roscoe Tanner #12 H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Paul Kronk 7-6 6-1 6-3 Peter Rennert #58 — Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Chris Lewis #31 6-4 6-3 6-3 Marty Davis H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Mark Edmondson #23 5-7 1-6 7-5 7-5 6-4 Syd Ball H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
John Alexander #75 6-4 6-1 6-3 Thierry Tulasne #59 H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Cliff Letcher 7-6 7-6 4-6 3-6 6-4 Jim Delaney — Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Kim Warwick #29 7-5 6-2 7-5 Jim Gurfein H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Johan Kriek #19 6-2 6-4 7-6 Thomas Hogstedt H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Steve Denton #54 6-7 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 Kevin Curren #50 H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Pat Dupre #44 6-4 6-4 6-2 Russell Simpson H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Phil Dent #65 7-6 6-4 7-6 Charlie Fancutt — Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Shlomo Glickstein #34 6-3 6-4 6-2 Jerome Potier H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Peter Mcnamara 3-6 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 Richard Lewis — Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Tim Mayotte #33 7-6 6-3 6-3 Robert Vant Hof — Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
Hank Pfister #39 6-2 6-0 6-2 Hans Simonsson H2H Match data Dec 30, 1981* R32
R64 (32)
Pat Dupre #44 6-4 6-7 4-6 6-3 6-3 Brad Guan H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Tim Mayotte #33 6-2 6-3 6-1 Eric Sherbeck H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Steve Denton #54 7-6 6-7 6-3 4-6 6-3 Eddie Edwards H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Thomas Hogstedt 7-5 6-4 6-2 Scott Mccain H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Jerome Potier 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 Dave Siegler H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Robert Vant Hof 6-3 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-3 Tim Wilkison #71 — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Cliff Letcher 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 John Sadri #36 — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64 Upset: winner had a 18 percent pre-match Elo win probability.
Guillermo Vilas #6 6-4 6-2 7-6 Joakim Nystrom #69 H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Mark Edmondson #23 6-1 6-2 6-3 Pat Cash H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Charlie Fancutt 3-6 6-4 6-3 6-0 Chris Johnstone #93 — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Russell Simpson 6-7 7-5 6-7 6-4 6-4 Dale Collings H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Richard Lewis 7-6 6-4 6-0 Craig Wittus H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Roscoe Tanner #12 6-3 6-3 6-3 Greg Whitecross H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Hank Pfister #39 3-6 7-6 6-3 2-6 6-1 Lloyd Bourne H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Shlomo Glickstein #34 6-4 7-6 7-5 Chris Dunk H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Chris Lewis #31 6-4 6-3 6-2 Ilie Nastase #74 H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
John Alexander #75 2-6 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-6 Fritz Buehning #55 H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Thierry Tulasne #59 6-3 6-4 7-5 Onny Parun H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Syd Ball 6-2 6-4 4-6 7-6 Steve Meister H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Hans Simonsson 6-4 7-6 6-7 Ron Hightower H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Paul Kronk 3-6 6-3 6-4 7-5 Mats Wilander #73 — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Peter Mcnamara 6-0 6-2 6-2 David Carter #95 — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Rod Frawley #89 2-6 6-2 6-1 3-6 6-3 Andrew Jarrett H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Kim Warwick #29 6-4 6-1 6-2 Brad Drewett H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Jim Delaney 6-4 3-6 6-3 7-6 Matt Mitchell H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Marty Davis 6-2 7-6 6-7 4-6 6-1 Jonathan Smith — Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Phil Dent #65 5-7 3-6 7-6 6-3 6-4 John Fitzgerald #60 H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Kevin Curren #50 6-2 6-2 6-1 Steve Krulevitz #82 H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Peter Rennert #58 6-2 6-2 3-6 6-3 Craig A Miller H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Larry Stefanki 4-6 6-4 2-6 6-2 7-6 Wally Masur H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Johan Kriek #19 6-2 7-5 6-1 Drew Gitlin H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64
Jim Gurfein 6-3 7-6 6-3 Wayne Pascoe H2H Match data Dec 28, 1981* R64

Tournament Records

The leading Open Era records for Australian Open.

Most Finals

Champion or runner-up finishes.

  1. Novak Djokovic 11 finals

Most Match Wins

Recorded main-draw match wins.

  1. Novak Djokovic 105 wins

Most Appearances

Editions with a recorded main-draw match. 2 players share this record.

  1. Novak Djokovic 21 appearances

View the full Australian Open record book →

Open Era main-draw singles records from 1968 onward. Ranking records begin where reliable entering rankings are available.

Recent Finals

Recent Australian Open finals
WinnerScoreRunner-upH2HMatch DataSeasonSurface
Carlos Alcaraz #1 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 Novak Djokovic #4 H2H Match data 2026 Hard
Jannik Sinner #1 6-3 7-6 6-3 Alexander Zverev #2 H2H Match data 2025 Hard
Jannik Sinner #4 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 Daniil Medvedev #3 H2H Match data 2024 Hard
Novak Djokovic #5 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(5) Stefanos Tsitsipas #4 H2H Match data 2023 Hard
Rafael Nadal #5 2-6 6-7(5) 6-4 6-4 7-5 Daniil Medvedev #2 H2H Match data 2022 Hard

View full tournament history →

Related Tournaments

View all Grand Slam champions by year →

Other Grand Slam tournaments in 1981

Previous editions of Australian Open

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Australian Open held?
Australian Open is held in Melbourne, Australia.
Who won the most recent Australian Open?
The 2026 Australian Open was won by Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Novak Djokovic 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5.
Who has won the most Australian Open titles?
Novak Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open titles, the most by any player in the Open Era (since 1968).
When was the first Australian Open played?
The first edition of Australian Open was held in 1905.
What surface is Australian Open played on?
Australian Open is played on grass courts.