FOTO: Getty/Clive Brunskill
By Daniel Muñoz Pozo, Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.
Dani Vallverdú was at the academy for a period of 3 years; he came along her sister Laura (who was runner up in the Orange Bowl U16 and is currently coach of the Women’s Tennis at the University of Miami), Dani also played for Venezuela in Davis Cup.
They lived in the Academy, studied and trained and let remark that Dani Vallverdú and Andy Murray became friends right away; Dani was a boy which good tennis skills although at the time of competing the thing was become more difficult, so his style (playing flat instead of top spin balls) become difficult to win matches on clay, where you need to be very solid forcing the opponent to make mistakes.
As a player, he used to play a role like a coach, because he used to study the opponent and matches, analyzing errors and the best way to play against of other players with a special point of view. Indeed, he was very analytical and liked to have everything under control; as anecdote he used to disagree with the coaches if he wasn´t happy with the information that was provided.
So as a result of the friendship with Andy Murray, they played doubles together in the ITF tournaments, clinching many titles. While he was playing ITF, he played against great tennis players as Monfils, Del Potro, Tsonga, CILIC, Almagro, Gimeno Traver, that after all they become ATP Players.
With Murray and Carlos Mier, all of them very football fans, as well as in the Academy made many football matches and also used to watch FC Barçelona in the Nou Camp Stadium.
When he was 18 years old, he decided to go to USA to study a university career, International Finance and just when he finished his career, Andy Murray called for travelling in the ATP circuit, as a friend-sparring, an experience which enabled him to see in first hand all the keys of the circuit, a great experience to later become a prestigious coach.
Congratulations, Dani, for the victory of your player Grigor Dimitrov in the Nitto ATP Finals last Sunday.
Daniel Muñoz Pozo
Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.
