Lisa Opie OBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (born on 15 August 1963) is a retired British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 squash

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, who was one of the game's leading woman players in the 1980s and early-1990s. Her biggest success was winning the British Open

British Open Squash Championships

The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...

 in 1991, and until the rise of Cassie Campion

Cassie Campion

Cassie Jackman is a former English squash player who won the World Open in 1999. She has been England's leading player throughout much of the 1990s and early 21st century...

 she was England's number 1 player.

Born and raised in Guernsey

Guernsey

Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...

, she was coached in her early years in the game by Reg Harbour. In international competition, she represented England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Playing career

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 final but lost to Rhonda Thorne

Rhonda Thorne

Rhonda Thorne is a former World No. 1 squash player from Australia...

 9-2, 9-0, 9-4. This was to be the first in a series of near-misses for Lisa, as she reached two more World Open finals but lost both times to the New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 squash legend Susan Devoy

Susan Devoy

Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...

 – 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 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...

, and then against old foe Devoy again 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

Sue Wright

Sue Wright is a former professional squash player from England. She was runner-up at the British Open in 1991 and 2000, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in 1998. She won the British National Championship title four times in 1992, 1997, 1998 and 2001. As a junior player, Wright...

 in the final 6–9, 9–3, 9–3, 9–4. This made her the first British woman to win the title for 30 years. That same year she finished second in the Sports Journalists Award, with the athlete Liz McColgan

Liz McColgan

Elizabeth McColgan MBE is a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete. She won the gold medal for the 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal over the same distance at the 1988 Olympic Games...

 coming first.

One of Lisa's finest moments off-court came when she was awarded the OBE for services to squash in the 1995 New Years Honours List.

Finals: 2 (0 title, 2 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Location	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
Runner-up	1985	Dublin, Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...	Susan Devoy Susan Devoy Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...	9–4, 9–5, 10–8
Runner-up	1987	Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	Susan Devoy Susan Devoy Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...	9–3, 10–8, 9–2

Finals: 5 (1 title, 4 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Location	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
Runner-up	1982	Bromley Bromley Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	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...	9–4, 5–9, 9–4, 9–4
Runner-up	1983	Derby Derby Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	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...	9–10, 9–6, 9–4, 9–5
Runner-up	1984	Wembley Wembley Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Susan Devoy Susan Devoy Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...	5–9, 9–0, 9–7, 9–1
Runner-up	1986	Wembley Wembley Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Susan Devoy Susan Devoy Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...	9–4, 9–2, 9–3
Winner	1991	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Sue Wright Sue Wright Sue Wright is a former professional squash player from England. She was runner-up at the British Open in 1991 and 2000, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in 1998. She won the British National Championship title four times in 1992, 1997, 1998 and 2001. As a junior player, Wright...	6–9, 9–3, 9–3, 9–4

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