Lisa Jane Opie
MBE (born on 15 August 1963) is a retired British
squash player, who was one of the game's leading woman players in the 1980s and early 1990s. Her biggest successes were winning the
British Open in 1991 and four consecutive
World Team Championships from 1985 to 1990. Until the rise of
Cassie Campion, Lisa was England's number 1 player.
Biography
Born and raised in
Guernsey
Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...
in the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...
, she was coached in her early years in the game by Reg Harbour. In international competition, she represented England. She was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE) for services to squash in the
1995 New Year Honours. In later years she was coached by Gavin Dupre from Jersey. They began working together in Guernsey and Lisa later spent time training with him in Germany where he was based as a professional coach.
Lisa won her first tournament in 1979 and quickly established herself as one of the game's best players. She reached the 1981
World Open semi-final but lost to
Rhonda Thorne 9–2, 9–0, 9–4. This was to be the first in a series of near-misses for Lisa, as she reached two World Open finals but lost both times to the
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
squash legend
Susan Devoy
Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy (born 4 January 1964) is a New Zealand former squash player and senior public servant. As a squash player, she was dominant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning the World Open on four occasions. She serve ...
– in 1985 (9–4, 9–5, 10–8) and 1987 (9–3, 10–8, 9–2).
The British Open also provided much heartbreak. In 1982 and 1983 she lost in the final against the Australian
Vicki Cardwell
Vicki Cardwell BEM (née Hoffmann, born 21 April 1955, in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian former World No. 1 squash player. She was one of the leading players on the international squash circuit from the late 1970s through to the ...
, and twice against old foe Devoy, in 1984 (5–9, 9–0, 9–7, 9–1) and 1986 (9–4, 9–2, 9–3). However, she eventually won the British Open in 1991 when she beat compatriot
Sue Wright in the final 6–9, 9–3, 9–3, 9–4. This made her the first British woman to win the title in 30 years. That same year she finished second in the British Sports Journalists Award, with the athlete
Liz McColgan coming first.
Opie won two gold medals for the
England women's national squash team at the
European Squash Team Championships in 1987 and 1988.
World Open
Finals: 2 (0 title, 2 runners-up)
British Open
Finals: 5 (1 title, 4 runners-up)
World Team Championships
Finals: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-up)
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Opie, Lisa
English female squash players
Guernsey sportswomen
1963 births
Living people
Guernsey squash players
Members of the Order of the British Empire
20th-century English sportswomen