1978 American Airlines Tennis Games – Singles
# 1978 American Airlines Tennis Games – Singles

Brian Gottfried was the defending champion but lost in the quarterfinals to Peter Fleming.

Roscoe Tanner won in the final 6–1, 7–6 against Raúl Ramirez.

## Seeds

* Brian Gottfried (quarterfinals)
* Eddie Dibbs (second round)
* Manuel Orantes (quarterfinals)
* Raúl Ramirez (final)
* Ilie Năstase (quarterfinals)
* Harold Solomon (third round)
* Sandy Mayer (first round)
* Roscoe Tanner (champion)
* Jaime Fillol (third round)
* Phil Dent (first round)
* Stan Smith (third round)
* John Alexander (first round)
* Tim Gullikson (second round)
* Cliff Drysdale (second round)
* José Higueras (second round)
* John Newcombe (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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Peter Fleming | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
| 4 | Raúl Ramirez | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | Raúl Ramirez | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | Raúl Ramirez | 1 | 6 |
| | | | | | 8 | Roscoe Tanner | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | Roscoe Tanner | 6 | 6 | | 8 | Roscoe Tanner | 6 | 7 |
| | Tom Leonard | 3 | 4 | | | | | |

### Top half

**Section 1**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Osborne | 3 | 3 | | 1 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Amritraj | 6 | 6 | | Q | A Amritraj | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Docherty | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | 1 | B Gottfried | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P DuPré | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 11 | S Smith | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | |
| | B Lloyd | 1 | 1 | | | P DuPré | 5 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F McMillan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 11 | S Smith | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | S Smith | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | B Gottfried | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 15 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | P Fleming | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| | B Scanlon | 2 | 3 | | 15 | J Higueras | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Pattison | 4 | 6 | | | P Fleming | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Fleming | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | P Fleming | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Tom Gullikson | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | Tom Gullikson | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | |
| Q | M Machette | 4 | 5 | | | Tom Gullikson | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Moore | 7 | 6 | | | R Moore | 7 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | S Mayer | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

**Section 2**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | R Ramirez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Günthardt | 4 | 1 | | 4 | R Ramirez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Moor | 6 | 3 | 1 | | S Stewart | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | R Ramirez | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Lara | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | 9 | J Fillol | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | T Šmíd | 4 | 6 | 5 | | M Lara | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Bertram | 4 | 2 | | 9 | J Fillol | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | J Fillol | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | R Ramirez | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | C Drysdale | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | I Năstase | 2 | 4 |
| | C Lewis | 3 | 1 | | 14 | C Drysdale | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Richey | 6 | 5 | 6 | | C Richey | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Harrington | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | C Richey | 2 | 5 | | | | |
| | G Masters | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | I Năstase | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | R Case | 3 | 1 | | | G Masters | 7 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Krulevitz | 2 | 6 | | 5 | I Năstase | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | I Năstase | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

**Section 3**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Williams | 1 | 2 | | 8 | R Tanner | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 6 | 3 | 7 | | G Hardie | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | V Pecci | 4 | 6 | 5 | | | | | 8 | R Tanner | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| | C Dibley | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | C Dibley | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | T Waltke | 6 | 4 | 3 | | C Dibley | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Manson | 4 | 3 | | 13 | Tim Gullikson | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Tim Gullikson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | R Tanner | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| 16 | J Newcombe | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | M Orantes | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| | R Lutz | 6 | 6 | | | R Lutz | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Riessen | 0 | 6 | | Q | E van Dillen | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E van Dillen | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | R Lutz | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| | B Martin | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | 3 | M Orantes | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | B Mitton | 6 | 4 | 6 | | B Mitton | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Fairlie | 6 | 2 | | 3 | M Orantes | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | M Orantes | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

**Section 4**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Hewitt | 2 | 3 | | 6 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Walts | 5 | 3 | | | D Crealy | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Crealy | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | H Solomon | 4 | 1 | | | | | |
| Q | H Bunis | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | A Ashe | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A Ashe | 7 | 3 | 6 | | A Ashe | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Austin | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | J Austin | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | J Alexander | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | A Ashe | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| 10 | P Dent | 2 | 7 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | T Leonard | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| | T Leonard | 6 | 6 | 6 | | T Leonard | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 7 | 6 | | | N Saviano | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Granát | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | T Leonard | 3 | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | C Pasarell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | I El Shafei | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | I El Shafei | 7 | 7 | | | I El Shafei | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Okker | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | E Dibbs | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | E Dibbs | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
