Barbara Wall

{{Short description|Australian squash player (born 1948)}} {{for|the English Catholic writer|Barbara Wall (writer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}} {{Infobox squash player | name = Barbara Wall | image =  | caption =  | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1948|5|25}} | birth_place = Perth, Western Australia | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | turnedpro = 1973 | retired = | plays = | coach = | racquet = | event = Women's singles | years_active = | highest_ranking = 4<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19790323/063/0063 |title=Sue No.2 in World |work=Birmingham Mail|date=23 March 1979|p=63|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=26 May 2026}}</ref> | date_of_highest_ranking = March 1979 | titles = | finals = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's squash }} {{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }} {{MedalCompetition | World Team Championships}} {{MedalSilver | 1979 Birmingham | Team }} }} '''Barbara Wall''' (born 25 May 1948) is an Australian former professional squash player.<ref name="wais">''W.A. Hall of Champions'' inductee booklet. (2006) Published by the Western Australian Institute of Sport</ref> She reached a career high ranking of 4 in the world during 1979 and was a world team silver medalist.

== Biography == Wall turned professional in 1973, the first Australian woman to do so.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

She travelled overseas in 1976 and the following year in 1977, though unseeded, managed to make the final of the British Open, where she lost to her compatriot Heather McKay.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19770304/485/0044 |title=Heather marches to 16th victory |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=4 March 1977 |p=44|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref> Wall followed up with victories in the Danish, Irish, and Belgian Open Championships and a win at the South African Champion of Champions. In 1979, she won the British Open as the number 8 seed, beating Sue Cogswell of England in the final 8–10, 6–9, 9–4, 9–4, 9–3.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-11 |title=HISTORY |url=https://britishopensquash.info/history/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=British Open Squash |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Wall represented Australia in the 1979 Women's World Team Squash Championships where she won a silver medal with the team.<ref>{{cite book|last=Palmer|first=Michael|title=Guinness Book of Squash|year=1984|publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd|isbn=0-85112-270-1}}</ref>

Wall trained under Shirley de la Hunty and was named Western Australian Sports Star of the Year in 1979 and was inducted into the Western Australian Hall of Champions in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sportwest.com.au/barbara-wall/ |title=Barbara Wall |website=Sport West |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall, Barbara}} Wall, Barbara Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Western Australian Institute of Sport alumni Category:Squash players from Perth, Western Australia Category:Sportswomen from Western Australia Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen