# Judy Devlin

Judy Devlin (later Hashman, 22 October 1935 – 6 May 2024) was an English and American badminton player who won more major international titles than any other player of her era.
Devlin began playing badminton with her Irish-born father Frank Devlin when she was seven in the Baltimore, Maryland region of the U.S.A. where her family had settled. Under her father's tutelage she developed a badminton game notable for its power, accuracy, and consistency. After dominating U.S. junior competition she won her first (adult) U.S. championship event, women's doubles, with her older sister Susan Devlin in 1953. This marked the beginning of the run of success listed below. She married Dick Hashman in 1960, living in England thereafter and eventually becoming a British citizen 10 years later.

## Career

Competing before the establishment of an official world championships for individual players and before badminton's entry into the Olympic Games, Devlin won 86 national and international titles. Among these are 31 titles in the USA, 8 titles in Germany, 7 titles in Canada, 4 titles in the Netherlands, 4 titles in Sweden, 3 titles in Ireland, 3 titles in Jamaica, 2 titles in Scotland, and a combined 19 titles in All England Open and English National competition. She played on U.S. Uber Cup teams that won three successive world championships (1957, 1960, 1963). In 1972 she won 2 titles (team and women's doubles) at the European Badminton Championships. She retired in 1973.
From 1954 to 1967 Devlin dominated the women's singles event at the U.S. Open, winning 12 titles in 14 years, including 8 consecutive championships from 1956 to 1963.
Judy Devlin is the most successful female player ever in the All England Badminton Championships, with 17 titles, 10 of them in women's singles and 7 in women's doubles.
Devlin appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 21 March 1970, and was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1997, together with her father. She was also inducted into the U. S. Badminton Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

## Death

Devlin died from cancer in Oxford on 6 May 2024, at the age of 88.

## Achievements
### European Championships

Women's doubles :
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1972 | Karlskrona, Sweden | Gillian Gilks | Margaret Beck Julie Rickard | 15–11, 15–7 | Gold |

### Record at the All England Championships

Women's singles :
| Year | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1954 | Iris Cooley | 11–7, 11–5 | Winner |
| 1955 | Margaret Varner Bloss | 12–9, 5–11, 1–11 | Runner-up |
| 1956 | Margaret Varner Bloss | 8–11, 5–11 | Runner-up |
| 1957 | Margaret Varner Bloss | 11–2, 11–7 | Winner |
| 1958 | Margaret Varner Bloss | 11–7, 12–10 | Winner |
| 1959 | Heather Ward | 7–11, 11–3, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1960 | Margaret Varner Bloss | 11–1, 11–9 | Winner |
| 1961 | Ursula Smith | 11–2, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1962 | Ursula Smith | 11–4, 11–0 | Winner |
| 1963 | Angela Bairstow | 11–5, 11–9 | Winner |
| 1964 | Ursula Smith | 11–0, 11–3 | Winner |
| 1966 | Imre Rietveld | 11–6, 11–7 | Winner |
| 1967 | Noriko Takagi | 5–11, 11–8, 12–10 | Winner |
Women's doubles :
| Year | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1954 | Susan Devlin | Iris Rogers June White | 15–7, 12–15, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1955 | Susan Devlin | Iris Rogers June White | 15–18, 15–10, 9–15 | Runner-up |
| 1956 | Susan Devlin | Iris Rogers June White | 17–18, 15–12, 15–12 | Winner |
| 1959 | Susan Devlin | Iris Rogers June White | 15–11, 10–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1960 | Susan Devlin | Inge Birgit Hansen Kirsten Thorndahl | 15–13, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1961 | Sue Peard | Catherine Dunglison Wilma Tyre | 15–5, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1962 | Tonny Holst-Christensen | Karin Jørgensen Ulla Rasmussen | 15–5, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1963 | Sue Peard | Karin Jørgensen Ulla Rasmussen | 15–6, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1964 | Sue Peard | Karin Jørgensen Ulla Rasmussen | 11–15, 15–6, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1966 | Sue Peard | Karin Jørgensen Ulla Rasmussen | 15–5, 14–17, 15–12 | Winner |
| 1967 | Janet Brennan | Imre Rietveld Ulla Strand | 15–11, 8–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1971 | Gillian Gilks | Hiroe Yuki Noriko Takagi | 10–15, 13–18 | Runner-up |

### Other International tournaments

| Year | Tournament | Event | Winner |
| 1954 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1954 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1955 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1956 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1956 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | Canada Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | Canada Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | Jamaican Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | Jamaican Open | Women's Doubles | Ms Murray / Judy Devlin |
| 1957 | Jamaican Open | Mixed Doubles | A Feres / Judy Devlin |
| 1958 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1958 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1958 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Michael "Bunky" Roche / Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | Canada Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | Canada Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1959 | Canada Open | Mixed doubles | Don P. Davis / Judy Devlin |
| 1960 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Devlin |
| 1960 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin |
| 1960–1961 | German Open | Mixed doubles | Yeoh Kean Hua / Judy Hashman |
| 1960–1961 | German Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1960–1961 | German Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Sonia Cox |
| 1961 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1961 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1961 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Wynn Rogers / Judy Hashman |
| 1961 | Scottish Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1961 | Scottish Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1961–1962 | German Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1961–1962 | German Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Tonny Holst-Christensen (USA / DEN) |
| 1962 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1962 | US Open | Women's doubles | Patsy Stephens / Judy Hashman |
| 1962 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Wynn Rogers / Judy Hashman |
| 1962–1963 | German Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1963 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1963 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard/ Judy Hashman |
| 1963–1964 | German Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Swedish Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Mary U. O'Sullivan |
| 1964 | Swedish Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Dutch Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Dutch Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard (/ Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Irish Open | Mixed doubles | Robert McCoig / Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Irish Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1964 | Irish Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1965 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | US Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | Swedish Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Eva Twedberg (USA / (SWE) |
| 1966 | Swedish Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | Canada Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | Canada Open | Women's doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1966 | German Open | Women's Doubles | Sue Peard / Judy Hashman |
| 1967 | US Open | Women's singles | Judy Hashman |
| 1967 | US Open | Women's doubles | Rosine Jones / Judy Hashman |
| 1967 | US Open | Mixed doubles | Jim Sydie / Judy Hashman |
| 1971 | Dutch Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Gillian Gilks |
| 1972 | Dutch Open | Women's doubles | Judy Hashman / Gillian Gilks |