title: 1961 Australian Championships – Women's singles
text: # 1961 Australian Championships – Women's singles
  
  First-seeded Margaret Smith defeated Jan Lehane 6–1, 6–4 in the final to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1961 Australian Championships.
  
  ## Seeds
  
  The seeded players are listed below. Margaret Smith is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
  
  * Margaret Smith (champion)
  * Jan Lehane (finalist)
  * Lesley Turner (third round)
  * Mary Carter Reitano (semifinals)
  * Mary Bevis Hawton (quarterfinals)
  * Maureen Pratt (third round)
  * Lorraine Coghlan (quarterfinals)
  * Beverley Rae (third round)
  
  ## Draw
  
  ### Key
  
  * Q = Qualifier
  * WC = Wild card
  * LL = Lucky loser
  * r = Retired
  
  ### Finals
  
  | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Kaye Dening | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Kaye Dening | 4 | 3 | 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | | | | | Robyn Ebbern | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
  | | Val Wicks | 4 | 2 | | Robyn Ebbern | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
  | | Robyn Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Robyn Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 |
  | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 1 | 4 |
  | 5 | Mary Bevis Hawton | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 1 | 4 |
  | 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
  | | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
  | 7 | Lorraine Coghlan | 2 | 2 | 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
  | 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  
  ### Earlier rounds
  
  **Section 1**
  
  | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | McLean | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Whitely | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
  | | Astley | 8 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Whitely | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 |
  | | | | | | | | | | | | Dening | 4 | 3 |
  | 8 | Rae | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Toyne | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 8 | Rae | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Dening | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Hall Hopman | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Dening | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  **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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | | | | | 3 | L Turner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Robinson | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | L Turner | w/o | | | | | |
  | | Wicks | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Wicks | | | | | | |
  | | Paterson | 0 | 1 | | | Wicks | 6 | 1 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
  | | Rayson | 6 | 1 | 6 | | Rayson | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
  | | McKee | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | Wicks | 4 | 2 |
  | 6 | Pratt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Ebbern | 6 | 6 |
  | | Gibson | 0 | 2 | | 6 | Pratt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Ross | 6 | 6 | | | Ross | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Craig | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | 6 | Pratt | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | |
  | | N Turner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Ebbern | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | |
  | | McArthur | 0 | 2 | | | N Turner | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Cox | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  **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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Southam | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Plaisted | 2 | 6 | 4 | | Southam | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Robberds | 6 | 6 | | | Robberds | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Hicks | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | Robberds | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
  | | Schacht | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Slattery | 1 | 0 | | | Schacht | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
  | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 6 | 6 | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Buck | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 4 | 2 |
  | | Thiele | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 |
  | | Ockerby | 3 | 1 | | | Thiele | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Blackman | 6 | 6 | | | Blackman | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Duldig | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | Blackman | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 4 | 6 | 8 | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Lesh | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  
  **Section 4**
  
  | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Tegart | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Gugeri | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Tegart | 4 | 8 | 4 | | | | |
  | | | | | | 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | Toohey | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 |
  | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Lehane | 2 | 2 |
  | | Shipton | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | Harris | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Shipton | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
  | | | | | | 2 | Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | Marie Burke | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 2 | Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  