It’s Lovely at Top for Sharapova

From Siberia to the summit.

A pitch fit for a movie executive with a short attention span? Or the real-life story of Maria Sharapova?

Both.

The inevitability of Sharapova’s arrival at the top of women’s tennis should not take away from what has been a remarkable journey: A girl arriving at a tennis academy in Florida armed with not much more than a dream. A daughter and father going it alone, young Maria forced to leave her mother back home in Russia.

Of course, by the time Hollywood works it all out, Maria and her father will be portrayed leaving Siberia in the middle of a blinding snowstorm on a sleigh.

Cut to 18-year-old Sharapova receiving a congratulatory phone call from her father Yuri, who says, “Good morning, champion.”

Well, the latter did happen Monday to the 2004 Wimbledon champion. That’s when the worst-kept secret in tennis became official: Sharapova supplanted Lindsay Davenport at No. 1 on the WTA Tour, becoming the 15th player to hold the top position, as well as the fifth-youngest and first Russian female.

“It’s just an amazing fact to be No. 1 in the world,” she said on a conference call Monday afternoon. “Topping it off, I am the first Russian. I’m just so excited I could achieve it. ... It’s just an amazing day for me.”

This was a lot like what she said during the JPMorgan Chase Open in Carson earlier this month. Her news conference that day at the Home Depot Center was one part injury withdrawal, one part announcement of her soon-to-be-No. 1 status.

She will probably be seeded No. 1 at the U.S. Open, which starts Monday. There could be as many as six former No. 1s in the field: Davenport; Venus and Serena Williams; the two Belgians, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, and Amelie Mauresmo of France.

There are four Russian women in the top 10, eight in the top 20. Russians won three of the four Grand Slams in 2004, but Sharapova and the others will be trying to avert a Russian female Slam shutout this year.

She is not the first Russian tennis player to reach the top spot. Two men have been No. 1: Yevgeny Kafelnikov, a friend of Sharapova’s family, and Marat Safin. Anastasia Myskina was the first Russian female to win a Grand Slam singles title, beating Sharapova by just a few weeks when she won the French Open last year.

Myskina nearly reached another milestone -- first to No. 1 -- before Sharapova, getting to No. 2 in September 2004. But they are heading in opposite directions now. Sharapova started the year at No. 4, made two Grand Slam semifinals and has threatened Davenport’s reign since the clay-court season. Myskina has been slowed by injuries and the serious illness of her mother, and has dropped out of the top 10.

One man has coached both Russian women -- Robert Lansdorp. A legendary coach and a true character, Lansdorp used to train Myskina and also worked with Davenport when she was a child. And he continues to assist Sharapova when she is in Southern California. Previously, he worked with Tracy Austin and Pete Sampras, two other former No. 1s.

Lansdorp noted his legacy, leaving an impassioned phone message for a reporter last week, before Sharapova officially became No. 1.

“It’ll be my fourth No. 1 in the world. Nobody has ever even come close to doing that. It’s impossible. I’m not going to live long enough to see five,” he said, laughing.

He is already getting after Sharapova to stay No. 1, and not be content with merely renting the position.

“She knew it was coming -- just a matter of time,” he said later in a telephone interview. “It’s almost like a milestone: you play, you win a Slam and you are No. 1. To me the milestone is, not that you become No. 1 ... [but] how long can you stay No. 1.

“Pete was unbelievable. He was able to stay No. 1 so long. And he had tough players to play. That’s what is important. Now you’re No. 1 and you better stay No. 1 and stay there for at least a year or two. Not for a couple months.”

Still, Lansdorp isn’t sure Sharapova can have the longevity of some of her predecessors at No. 1, such as Chris Evert, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf. Sharapova simply has more options at her disposal.

“I remember telling Maria when she had to work so hard on the court, she was just moping a little bit,” Lansdorp said. “ ‘What is the matter with you, Maria? Why don’t you just become a model? All you have to do is walk up and down this runway. You don’t even have to smile. No model ever smiles. They all look like they’re [angry]. And you can make millions. You don’t have to run down 20, 30 balls at the baseline.’ ”

But modeling was not the topic Monday. It was a day for celebration. Sharapova said she received seven bouquets and numerous text messages from friends, and she laughed frequently on the conference call.

“I just know for a fact that I never have to prove anything to anyone,” she said. “Because I don’t think anyone expected me to win Wimbledon at 17 and no one expected me to be No. 1 at 18.”