Andy Roddick pummeled Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to claim the U.S. Open title and his maiden grand slam Sunday, heralding the long-awaited arrival of the next generation of American tennis.

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.

Ferrero will assume the world No. 1 ranking Monday, but it will be small consolation for the 23-year-old, who was confident he could add a U.S. Open crown to the French Open title he won in June.

“It hasn’t sunk in. I came here so many times as a kid … I’m in disbelief right now,” said Roddick, who takes over the title left vacant by Pete Sampras when he confirmed his retirement on the opening evening of the season’s final grand slam.

Roddick got his first grand-slam final off to a booming start, thundering a 138-mph ace and two unreturnable serves at Ferrero on the way to a 1-0 lead.

But the stylish Spaniard, playing his fourth match in as many days, would not be intimidated by Roddick or the partisan crowd, confidently holding his first service game before registering the first break opportunity.

Ferrero could not convert the chance as Roddick again held for 2-1, but the Spaniard showed the American needed more than a lightning serve to lift the trophy.

The 21-year-old Roddick quickly let Ferrero know he has other weapons in his arsenal, unleashing a lethal forehand past the helpless Spaniard to break him and surge 3-1 ahead.

With Ferrero unable to find an answer to Roddick’s serve, the single break was all that the American needed.

Holding serve to close out the set, Roddick underlined his power with a pair of aces, including a 141-mph sizzler — the fastest seen at Flushing Meadows in the past two weeks.

In the second set, Roddick continued to bombard Ferrero, whistling two more aces past his opponent to level the set after the 23-year-old Spaniard had held serve to open.

A dazed Ferrero continued to struggle with Roddick’s power and was unable to take a single point from him through four consecutive service games.

Ferrero finally broke through in the eighth game, ending a string of 23 consecutive points on serve from Roddick, but could not dent the American’s armor as the set remained level at 4-4.

Roddick, however, was having similar problems coming to grips with Ferrero’s serve, with neither player able to earn a break opportunity, sending the set into a tiebreak.

Ferrero took early control of the tiebreak 2-1, but once again, Roddick’s power proved too much as he swept the next six points to win 7-2, finishing with a bludgeoning forehand winner.

The pair continued to probe each other’s service games for any weakness in the third set, with Roddick finally getting his chance after 22 consecutive games without a break opportunity at 3-2.

But the feisty Spaniard 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 the American dug himself out of trouble with two unreturnable serves.

After dancing with disaster, Ferrero finally succumbed to Roddick’s pressure when he double-faulted while serving at 4-3 to give the American the game’s decisive break.

Feasting on the energy of a partisan crowd hungry for an American win, Roddick then easily held serve, pounding an ace down the middle to clinch his first grand slam.