Ronald Chen
Despite a recent 6-3 loss for Occidental’s men’s tennis team against Pomona Pitzer, doubles partners Ronald (Ron) Chen (sophomore) and Ace Andres (sophomore) secured an 8-4 win against the No. 3 ranked doubles team in the country during the match, according to Oxy Athletics. In addition to his doubles performance, Chen secured a victory in the singles competition, clinching a 6-2, 6-3 win over Pomona-Pitzer’s top-ranked player.
“My partner and I were looking forward to playing [Pomona-Pitzer] since they are the third nationally ranked doubles team and we knew it was going to be tough,” Chen said. “We knew what we should be doing against them and how to win so we didn’t put pressure on ourselves and instead went out and stuck to our plan.”
In the singles competition, Chen said he had previously played his opponent, so he knew he had to stay mentally tough and follow his plan in order to win his match.
According to teammate Benjamin Burrows (sophomore), Chen’s performance in his singles match was exceptional.
“Despite playing a strong opponent, [Chen] was able to play some really smart tennis and tactically outplay his opponent,” Burrows said. “I really value his ability to lock in during matches and really focus. That’s when you see the best of Ron.”
Teammate Dennis Isak (junior) said Chen is fiery on the court and his performance showed his dedication and hard work.
“There’s nothing but compliments for him – he’s been putting in the work in practice,” Isak said. “We’ve had practice matches and practice sets, and he’s been trying his hardest in each one, so it’s been paying off not just in that match but multiple matches throughout the season.”
Burrows said Chen’s leadership has impacted the team by leading by example and encouraging his teammates on the court.
“You can hear him from the last court while he’s [on the first court] encouraging every single one of his teammates,” Isak said.
“He always encourages us and pushes us in matches,” Burrows said. “He motivates us by cheering us on even when he’s on the stadium court by himself so that’s really something to look up to.”
Chen said the team lost many of their seniors last year, so the players are learning to adjust to their new spots.
“Since we’re so close as a team, we’re able to help each other grow so for the rest of the season there’s going to be more improvement and it’s going to be good for next year too,” Chen said.
Mathilde Depery
In their April 4 match up against Linfield University, Occidental’s women’s tennis team secured a dominating 7-2 victory, according to Oxy Athletics. Partners Mathilde Depery (senior) and Alexis Matabuena (senior) claimed an 8-4 win against their opponents in the doubles competition.
Depery said the match against Linfield was challenging since she and her partner were initially losing the match, but they were able to come back.
“We were losing by two games for half the doubles and then we were able to figure out a way around their shot and get our game in,” Depery said. “That was one game where I could see myself grow. Two years ago, I would’ve been like, ‘Oh, we’re losing, I’m just going to give up,’ but this match in particular, I was like, ‘No, I want to win and we’re going to figure out a way to win.’”
According to Matabuena, their combined energy during matches helped them secure their win against Linfield and has impacted the whole team as well.
“It’s nice, especially during Linfield, when we both get vocal and we’re both screaming. Our team has told us that when we do that, they feel more comfortable doing it themselves too,” Matabuena said.
Depery said she first started playing tennis at the age of 5 in France and after losing her first year to COVID, began playing tennis at Occidental as a sophomore.
“[Screaming] isn’t something we do in France either, it’s very quiet,” Depery said. “Then I came to Oxy, and I heard people screaming on the court, so now [Matabuena and I] are the two screamers of the team and our court is definitely the loudest.”
Matabuena said Depery is not only an exceptional doubles partner but also takes on a leadership role for the rest of the team.
“Usually if I’m in my head [Depery is] the one pulling me out and if she’s in her head, I’m the one pulling her out,” Matabuena said. “She’s a very easy person to talk to. We have five freshmen on the team and they’re very comfortable speaking to her about things they maybe don’t feel as comfortable speaking about to everyone.”
With the win against Linfield University marking the fourth consecutive win for the team, both Depery and Matabuena said they are optimistic for the rest of the season.
“We have a really good dynamic within the team,” Depery said.
Contact Trisha Bhima at bhima@oxy.edu
