Two tennis aces, 14, killed in automotive crash 12 months after Djokovic coin toss

Two promising teenage tennis stars have died in a automotive accident on Long Island. One of the boys, Drew Hassenbein, carried out the coin toss through the 2021 US Open closing between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Fellow varsity tennis teammate Ethan Falkowitz additionally died on the scene whereas two different boys within the automotive, aged 16 and 17, have been hospitalised.

The American tennis group has been left in shock following the dying of two 14-year-old rising stars. Hassenbein and Falkowitz have been within the again seat of a automotive that was struck on Wednesday evening.

According to NBC, the crash was allegedly attributable to an intoxicated wrong-way driver named by Nassau County police as Amandeep Singh, 34. Singh was stated to be driving a Dodge Ram southbound in a northbound lane when he struck an Alfa Romeo carrying 4 youngsters.

The quartet have been apparently driving house after a celebratory dinner following a victory in a tennis competitors. One of the victims, Hassenbein, was touted as a future tennis star. And as a 12-year-old he carried out the coin toss for Djokovic and Medvedev’s 2021 US Open closing conflict.

Speaking to LongIsland.com after being a part of the historic match, Hassenbein stated: “It was a really great experience. Before the players came out I was talking to former Grand Slam champion Stan Smith for about a half hour, and then the players came out and they said hi to me gave me high-fives. I was a little nervous doing the coin toss because I didn’t want to mess that up, but otherwise I was fine.”

He was additionally ranked at nationwide stage and – regardless of being in center faculty – starred on the native highschool’s varsity tennis workforce. Falkowitz was additionally a star of the identical varsity workforce, and their tennis coach Jay Harris paid tribute to the pair.

Their coach stated the 14-year-olds have been “amazing guys” and “best friends” who had each began taking part in tennis aged 5 earlier than becoming a member of the varsity workforce once they have been in eighth grade.