Roddick powers to U.S. Open glory
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Andy Roddick: 'I'm in disbelief right now.'
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NEW YORK -- Andy Roddick claimed his first career grand slam title with a straight sets win over Juan Carlos Ferrero in the men's U.S. Open final.
The fourth-seeded American started and finished on an ace as he powered to a 6-3 7-6 6-3 victory over his Spanish rival in just one hour and 42 minutes.
Ferrero couldn't handle Roddick's explosive service game and failed to win a point against serve for four consecutive games -- a run of 23 points -- in the second set.
The 21-year-old's victory heralds the arrival of a new generation of American men's tennis players, following outgoing champion Pete Sampras' retirement and Andre Agassi's defeat by Ferrero in the semifinal.
"It hasn't sunk in, I came here so many times as a kid," said Roddick. "I'm in disbelief right now."
Roddick set the tone in the opening game of the match, blasting a 138 mph ace -- the first of 23 -- for the first point and following that with two unreturnable serves. He broke Ferrero in the fourth game to take a decisive 3-1 lead.
French Open champion Ferrero battled hard to hold his serve in the second set, but ran into trouble in the tiebreaker as Roddick reeled off six straight points to win 7/2.
Ferrero had his best chance to hit back with a pair of break points in the seventh game of the third set, but Roddick simply blasted his way out of trouble with two more unreturnable serves.
In the next game, Ferrero double-faulted to hand Roddick the match-winning break.
Ferrero, playing his fourth match in four days, takes away the consolation that his semifinal win over Andre Agassi will earn him the world number one ranking on Monday.
