Rhonda Thorne
Encyclopedia
Rhonda Thorne (also known as Rhonda Clayton) is a former World No. 1 squash
player from Australia
. She was one of the leading players on the international squash circuit in the late-1970s and early-1980s, and won the World Open in 1981.
In the 1981 World Open final in Toronto
, Canada
, Thorne beat fellow Australian player Vicki Cardwell
8-10, 9-4, 9-5, 7-9, 9-7 to become world champion. Thorne and Cardwell reached the World Open final again in 1983 when it was held in Perth
, with Cardwell winning this time 9-1, 9-3, 9-4.
Thorne was at the pinnacle of her game in the early-1980s, and held the World No.1 ranking in both 1981 and 1982. She remained in the world’s top-10 from 1979-84.
Thorne represented Australia in international team squash for seven years from 1977-84. She captained the Australian team from 1981-83, during which time the team won to two World Team Squash Championship
titles.
As a junior player, Thorne won four Australian Junior Opens in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1976.
Thorne retired from the international squash circuit in 1985. That year she won the Queensland Sportswoman of the Year award. Since retiring, she has been inducted into the Squash Australia Hall of Fame and was an inaugural member of the Queensland Squash Hall of Fame. She was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 recognition for her achievements.
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She was one of the leading players on the international squash circuit in the late-1970s and early-1980s, and won the World Open in 1981.
In the 1981 World Open final in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Thorne beat fellow Australian player Vicki Cardwell
Vicki Cardwell
Vicki Cardwell BEM is a former World No. 1 squash player from Australia. She was one of the leading players on the international squash circuit from the late-1970s through to the mid-1990s...
8-10, 9-4, 9-5, 7-9, 9-7 to become world champion. Thorne and Cardwell reached the World Open final again in 1983 when it was held in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, with Cardwell winning this time 9-1, 9-3, 9-4.
Thorne was at the pinnacle of her game in the early-1980s, and held the World No.1 ranking in both 1981 and 1982. She remained in the world’s top-10 from 1979-84.
Thorne represented Australia in international team squash for seven years from 1977-84. She captained the Australian team from 1981-83, during which time the team won to two World Team Squash Championship
World Team Squash Championships
The World Team Squash Championships are an international squash competition played between teams representing different nations. Countries enter teams of three or four players to represent them in the championships. In each round of the competition, teams face each other in a best-of-three singles...
titles.
As a junior player, Thorne won four Australian Junior Opens in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1976.
Thorne retired from the international squash circuit in 1985. That year she won the Queensland Sportswoman of the Year award. Since retiring, she has been inducted into the Squash Australia Hall of Fame and was an inaugural member of the Queensland Squash Hall of Fame. She was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 recognition for her achievements.