By Marcus Uhe
‘Father Time’ is no match for the groundstroke prowess of former West Gippsland Tennis Association president John Hobson.
At 81-years-old, Hobson is making a name for himself on the International Tennis Federation Masters doubles and mixed doubles scene, reaching career-high rankings on the circuits earlier this month.
A victory in the MT700 mixed doubles tournament on the Gold Coast at the beginning of July with his mixed doubles partner Carol Davies has seen his mixed doubles ranking on the 80+ tour skyrocket to eighth, and a second-placed finish in the mens doubles with Herbert Chee has seen his doubles ranking reach as high as 71st in the same age bracket.
“I just came up with my brother because we were holidaying in Queensland and he said ‘why don’t you have a go in the veterans?’” Hobson said of his decision to enter the Masters competition for the first time in 2023.
“I played last year and did okay, I won a couple of rounds but didn’t get through.
“We were pretty close but just lost out to one of the pairs we beat this year.”
Hobson first picked up a racquet at age six and has barely put it down in the 75 intervening years since, having played, coached and administered in various capacities over the journey.
He played Pennant tennis at East Malvern and his near-60 year membership at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, where he still plays with his mates every wednesday afternoon, has earned him Life Membership status.
A love of the sport runs deep through the roots of his family tree – his father, Bert and his uncle, Tommy, who were both accomplished players for Cardinia in the Clyde and District Tennis Association, before its amalgamation with West Gippsland, while brother Terry also still plays on the 65+ tour.
His sister, Trish Jones, is one of the countries best Pickleball players, having claimed the 70+ Womens Singles 3.0 to 3.49 Round Robin competition at the 2024 Queensland Pickleball Championships in June.
“My father was quite a good player and he played in Clyde and District.
“I played as a junior there, I played A-Grade at the age of 12 with my father.
“Uncle Tommy was one of the best mixed doubles players in Gippsland because when we played in the tournaments, he always won the tournaments, because he had a pretty good partner and he was a very good player.”
While he doesn’t have the speed to execute his serve-volley game that he thrived on during his younger days, the competitive spirit found in all Hobsons and the intrinsic benefits of the sport keep Hobson coming back to the court after all these years.
“I think the Hobson trait is being competitive and I think we enjoy the competitive nature of tennis,” he said.
“It’s the competitive spirit and fitness.
“Injuries are such that it could be my last match – when you get to 81, who knows?
“I’m more interested in playing socially and with my mates, that sort of thing.
“I’ve had a go at this and I’ve had a tournament where it was well-rated in points terms, and I did pretty well.
“I’ll be playing as long as I can do it, as long as I’ve got a partner and we can play at a satisfactory level, injuries permitting.”
