Angela Smith (squash)

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Angela Smith (b. 3 July 1953 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) is a retired professional English squash player. Smith was the first female squash player to turn professional, doing so in 1977 in order to make a career from tournament play rather than coaching. She is widely recognized for changing the face of women's squash by going professional. Indeed, after Smith's success, Sue Cogswell followed suit in 1979 and the UK women's squash game became open; the rest of the world quickly followed.

[edit] Career

Smith was one of the world's top ranked squash players from 1976 to 1989. She reached the semifinals in the British Open eight times, and won the Spanish, Portuguese, Canadian, USA and Bermuda Opens. She was a British champion with Great Britain and England International, representing her country many times. She also became a world champion with GB in 1979, and a World over 35 and Masters champion. Smith coached the national teams for the Bahamas, and was also the US men's squash team coach from 1977 to 1979.

She had a long rivalry with Cogswell for the British number-one spot over many years, and her matches against Vicki Hoffman (now Cardwell) were felt to be pure theatre, especially those taking place in the British Open Championships. Smith was one of a very few players to win a game against Australian player Heather McKay, at the World Championships S/F Sheffield, 1979.

Smith was also considered a pioneer in women's squash. She organised and promoted the first women's squash events in the Middle East, in Dubai and Bahrain. Along with Jayne Aston of England and Sue Newman, Barbara Wall and Lyle Hubinger of Australia, she formed WISPA, the professional ladies' body for squash, in 1979.