TNT Sports
Roddick pummels Ferrero
By
Published 07/09/2003 at 19:30 GMT+1
Andy Roddick powers past Spain's new world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 7-6 6-3 in the U.S. Open on Sunday, to claim his maiden Grand Slam singles title and heralded the arrival of the next generation of American tennis players, following on from th
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
In a jaw-dropping display of awesome power, Roddick needed just one hour 42 minutes to blast Ferrero from the Arthur Ashe stadium, pounding 23 aces past the dazed Spaniard.
With tears rolling down his cheeks he gazed, glassy-eyed, around the howling New York crowd, screaming for their new champion.
He fell, crying, into the arms of his coach Brad Gilbert before heading off to kiss actress girlfriend Mandy Moore and his mother Blanche.
"It hasn't sunk in yet ... I don't think you could have written the script any better, starting with Pete's retirement," said Roddick, who takes the title left vacant by Sampras when he confirmed his retirement on the opening evening of the season's final grand slam.
"I still don't believe I have won the U.S. Open. For years I came to this tournament and just watched from way up here.
"I can't believe it. I have my friends and my family here. I couldn't have a better day."
GRITTY VENUE
There could hardly have been a better way to celebrate the
U.S. Open's 25th anniversary of its move to Flushing Meadows, the loudest, most gritty venue of the four grand slams.
Yet he had so nearly missed the party. In Saturday's semi-final he had been two sets and match point down against
Argentine David Nalbandian before mounting a fairytale comeback.
Roddick plays tennis the way New Yorkers like it. He's loud, he's cocky and he hits a mean ball.
The sonic boom on his serve drowns out the planes flying overhead into nearby La Guardia airport.
Nobody in the world has hit a serve faster than the American and on Sunday it was too hot for Ferrero to handle.
"I didn't do my tennis," Ferrero said. "Maybe because he served so hard all the time, I couldn't feel a rhythm on court.
It's a very big serve, you know?
"Today was not my day."
The Spaniard was playing with an "experimental racket" according to its manufacturers but the racket has not been made that can tame the Roddick serve and time and again the 140 miles per hour-plus rockets ricocheted off Ferrero's frame.
There was little respite for the Spaniard when it was his turn to serve. Roddick's forehand should come with a health warning too.
He whips the ball with ferocious power and swings his backhand like a New York Yankee.
Never mind that the rankings will show Ferrero as the world number one on Monday. On centre court he stood no chance.
In front of an excitable Flushing Meadows crowd Roddick burst from the blocks opening the first game with a 116 miles per hour ace and ending it with one timed at 108 mph.
MURDEROUS INTENT
In game four he broke Ferrero for the first time, slamming a forehand winner with murderous intent and after 28 minutes had one finger on his first grand slam crown.
In the second set he didn't lose a point on his serve until the eighth game but Ferrero was hanging in and the set inched into a tiebreak.
Roddick tore through it 7-2 as he tasted blood.
Serving first in the third set, Roddick charged for the finish line. After 22 consecutive games without a break opportunity he finally got his chance at 3-2.
But Ferrero refused to fold, denying Roddick on three break chances to keep the set on serve.
In the next game Ferrero put Roddick under pressure with a pair of break points, but he dug himself out of trouble with two unreturnable serves.
After dicing with disaster, Ferrero finally succumbed to Roddick's pressure when he double-faulted serving at 4-3 to give the American the decisive break.
Feasting on the energy of a partisan crowd hungry for an American win, Roddick then easily held serve, three consecutive aces for his first slam.
Advertisement
Advertisement