Miami Duo Claims ITA Southeast Regional Doubles Title
Oct. 22, 2007
LEXINGTON, KY. – University of Miami junior All-American Daniel Vallverdu (Valencia, Venezuela) and freshman Carl Sundberg (Oslo, Norway) won the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional doubles title on Monday afternoon at the University of Kentucky.
The Miami duo knocked off Mississippi’s Bram ten Berge and Matthias Wellermann, 8-6, for the championship and will advance to the ITA National Indoor Championship in Columbus, Ohio, from Nov. 1-4.
Vallverdu will also advance to National Indoor competition in singles play, after defeating Georgia’s Nate Schnugg in this morning’s semifinals, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1. Vallverdu, who played four matches (two in singles and two in doubles) on Monday, fell in the finals of singles competition to Mississippi’s Wellermann, 7-6 (5), 6-3, who he then came back to beat in the doubles final.
“I cannot be more excited for our guys,” said assistant coach CJ Weber. “Danny is playing some of his best tennis right now and had one of the best tournaments you could ever expect out of a player. For someone to qualify for Indoor Nationals in both singles and doubles is truly a rarity. He is among the elite players and I couldn’t be more proud.
“Carl really stepped up his game in the semifinals and finals. For a freshman to play as well as he has and to qualify for Indoor Nationals is tremendous. He has really risen to the occasion, and when Danny needed him today after such a long tournament, Carl stepped up and played really well for them to beat a very, very good Ole Miss team.”
Although the singles and doubles finals were comprised of only Miami and Ole Miss student-athletes, 29 programs from the southeast sent competitors with 148 players in the singles competition and 60 doubles teams. To advance to next week’s Indoor Nationals, a player had to make the finals of singles play or win the doubles title.
Vallverdu did both.
“It was a great weekend,” noted the junior. “Coming into this tournament, I wasn’t expecting to win so many matches, but I felt great and played better tennis as the tournament progressed. I’m looking forward to playing with Carl and I’m very excited for him as a freshman.”
“It was a bit unexpected that we did so great since Danny and I have never played together before,” added Sundberg. “It feels really great to start off so well as a freshman and to win so many matches.”
The tandem advanced to this afternoon’s doubles finals after cruising past host Kentucky’s Brad Cox and Bruno Agostinelli, 8-2, earlier in the day.
Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Results
Singles Finals
(17) Matthias Wellermann (Mississippi) def. (4) Daniel Vallverdu (Miami), 7-6 (5), 6-3
Singles Semifinals
(4) Daniel Vallverdu (Miami) def. (11) Nate Schnugg (Georgia), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1
Doubles Finals
Daniel Vallverdu/Carl Sundberg (Miami) def. Bram ten Berge/Matthias Wellerman (Mississippi), 8-6
Doubles Semifinals
Daniel Vallverdu/Carl Sundberg (Miami) def. Brad Cox/Bruno Agostinelli (Kentucky), 8-2
