Lower Merion’s Matt Chen is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The junior captain of the Lower Merion boys’ tennis team captured the Central League singles championship earlier this month, defeating Conestoga’s Nicholas Ruth in the semifinals, then Strath Haven’s Xandy Hammitt in the championship finals. Last spring, he played second singles on Lower Merion’s PIAA state championship team, and and clinched the Aces’ wins in both the state quarterfinal and the championship final.
Q: What is your most vivid memory of the Central League singles tournament?
A: My most vivid memory was during the final against Xandy Hammitt from Strath Haven. I was serving at 1-2 in the second set. I got down 0-40 in the game after hitting two double faults and I got a bit frustrated at myself. I collected myself to come back and win that game and didn’t lose a game for the rest of the match. That was a key moment for me in that match.
Q: What is your most vivid memory of the PIAA state tournament last year?
A: My most vivid memory was my quarterfinal match against Shady Side’s senior Derek Chen. I was sick during the week and was not on my best game for that match. I was the last match remaining for my team and the team score was 2-2. Our season was on the line and a spot in the semifinal was at stake. Finally I managed to pull out a 7-6, 7-6 victory. I stayed mentally tough and fought until the match was over. This is a match I’m never going to forget.
Q: What do you think has been your best match of your Lower Merion tennis career to date? What was particularly working well for you that day?
A: My best match to date was probably during the state final last year against Upper St. Clair’s senior Domenick D’Amico. I had lost to him before in a tournament the previous summer. However that day I played the best match in my high school career. I was clicking on all cylinders and covering the court extremely well. I couldn’t do anything wrong that day and I saved my best match for the most important one.
Q: As the No. 1 singles player for Lower Merion, how do you see your leadership role on the squad, and how do you try to display leadership?
A: I feel like my involvement on the team has grown a lot this year. Being a junior captain I have more responsibilities to take care of. I feel like I’m more of a team player this year than previous years. I want to make everyone on the team better, whether it’s their tennis or our chemistry. I do feel like our team is a very well-bonded team and we don’t have troubles with sticking together. I try to help out others during practice by hitting some balls with them and working on their game. I really love this team and it’s a great group of guys.
Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you currently working on the most?
A: My strongest part of my game is probably my backhand. I’ve always had a strong and solid backhand that I can rely on. I’m very consistent with it and it rarely breaks down for me. I can grind with the player from the baseline or take a backhand down the line for an offensive shot. One part of my game I have been working on for a long time is my forehand. In previous years my forehand has been a liability for me. This year however I’ve worked really hard on it and I have much more confidence in my forehand than previous years. It’s probably my most improved stroke the past year.
Q: What (to you) has been the most memorable experience of your tennis career outside of Lower Merion? Can you share that experience with us?
A: My most memorable moment in my tennis career was when I went to Kalamazoo, Mich. to play National Hard Court Championships. This tournament consisted of players ranked as high as top 10 in the nation. It was an incredible experience for me to witness some of today’s future stars playing right before my eyes. College coaches walked around watching all the players and seeking their next recruit. The atmosphere was great and it was one of the most unforgettable tournaments of my life.
Q: Who are your favorite tennis players? Do you try to pattern your game after any of them?
A: My favorite tennis players today are Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is currently No. 1 in the world and I truly admire his game. He strikes every ball with great quality and does not give up. He is incredibly fit, which is extremely vital in tennis and no one on the world tour can keep up with him today. Roger Federer, a former world No. 1, is another one of my favorite players. I love his aggressive game and how he can put the point away with ease in as little as two shots. He finds a way to win points so easily and comfortably. I would say my game is more similar to Djokovic’s but I would like to implement more of Federer’s game into my own as well.
Q: Who have been your top tennis mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from them?
A: My top tennis mentors are my current coaches, Punch Maleka and Kamala Kannan (KK). I’ve been working with KK for about four years now. He was the first person to really get me into hitting a bigger and heavier ball to overpower my opponents. He’s a great player as well and has taught me many things that I apply to my game today. I’ve been with Punch for about a year and a half now and he has helped me improved my forehand a lot recently. Not only did he improve my forehand but he has also taught me strategies that I can use during a match when I’m in trouble or when I need to win a certain point. I would like to thank them for showing me and teaching me things that have made me the player I am today.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.
A: I usually eat a banana before to get some energy into my system. I take a warm-up lap or two and do my dynamic stretches – high knees, lunges, side shuffles, etc. Once those are done with, I hit a few balls with my teammates to get my stroke going. I try to find the right ball and get ready to apply it during my match.
Q: What is your favorite tennis venue, and why?
A: The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is probably my favorite tennis venue. It’s one of the closer ones to our area in Flushing, N.Y. It holds one of the four major tournaments on the professional tour, the U.S. Open. The best players in the world play this every year and I try to go with friends every year to watch them play. It’s always a good time there.
Q: What do you think you’d like to major in at college? Is there a career path that particularly appeals to you? What are your favorite colleges at the present time?
A: As of right now I probably want to go into a major involving a science. I’m leaning towards something that would have to deal with biology or chemistry. I’m very interested in those sciences and am looking for a career in those studies. At this time I have a lot of colleges on my mind. I want to have a good education and at the same time be able to play tennis at the school. I’m currently interested at a lot of Division III schools: Case Western, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Emory, Washington and Lee, University of Chicago, Washington University. There are a lot [of colleges] on my list that I am interested in going to.
Q: You participated in Mock Trial for a while at Lower Merion. What sparked your interest in this activity?
A: My friend wanted me to join him so I said why not and it was interesting because this was the first time I was exposed to case solving first hand. I got to witness something new and interesting and got to witness a court case right before my very eyes. It is quite remarkable what lawyers can do for their client in a court to protect them.
Fun facts – Matt Chen
Favorite athlete: Roger Federer.
Favorite pre-match pump-up song: Panda by Desiigner.
Favorite pre-match meal: Bananas.
Favorite color: Blue.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
