Playing Career
World Champion, Australian Open Champion, Australian Hall of Fame
Nationality: Australian
Highest World Ranking (PSA): 2
World Open Titles: 1
Australia Open Titles: 5
US Open Titles: 2
Hong Kong Open Titles: 2
British Open Runner-Up: 3
World Team Titles: 3*
An Australian great, Rodney Martin was one of his country’s greatest players and one whose achievements could have been significantly greater had he not burst onto the scene during an era that saw both Pakistani legends Jahangir and Jansher Khan at the very top of their games.
Martin was one of the three Australians – with Chris Dittmar and Chris Robertson – at the time who constantly strove to improve their levels in their quest to dethrone the Khans from the top of the game throughout the 80s and 90s, a feat that frequently seemed out of reach with Martin losing three British Open finals at the hands of Jahangir.
But, in 1991, Martin shook up the squash world to win the World Championship against all odds and become just the second Australian – after the great Geoff Hunt – to get his name on the prestigious trophy.
In that event Martin downed two-time defending champion and then then World No.1 Jansher in the quarters – coming through with an emphatic 34-minute victory. But, far from seeing the finish line, he then lined up against compatriot Dittmar in the semi-finals – going 0-10 down in the opening game.
Martin though came back to take the next three games and secure his place in the final against Jahangir – a man he had previously failed to beat in any big final, including the three British Open battles.
Again Martin lost the opening game, but came back to win 3-1 and secure an unlikely World Championship crown.
Further success at the highest level was denied to the Aussie however as injury forced him into retirement in 1994 – when ranked no.2 in the World – though his influence on the game continued as he took up a coaching role with the Australian Institute of Sport before basing himself in the United States where he works with top flight players such as Ryan Cuskelly and Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Source: PSA World Tour
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[*2 as a player, 1 as a coach]
