All summer long, tennis fans waited for the inevitable crowning of Maria Sharapova, the greatest sensation this side of Chris Evert. Would it happen in Stanford, San Diego, or Toronto? An ovation was all but guaranteed; maybe the tour would spring for fireworks. On it went, week after week in what was to be the summer of Sharapova, the chosen 18-year-old from Russia with stunning looks, a gleaming smile, the giggle of a Florida schoolgirl – not to mention $20 million in the bank a year. After months of pining, she would earn the no.1 ranking. It was just a question of when.

Turns out that Sharapova didn’t have to lift a finger. She has played three times since losing in the Wimbledon semifinal, nursing back and pectoral injuries and double-checking her height (she has grown another two inches and now lists herself as 6-foot-2). Meanwhile, one woman after another submitted a doctor’s note of her own. World no. 1 Lindsay Davenport was sidelined by her back, Serena Williams by her ankle and knee, Venus Williams by the flu, and Justine Henin-Hardenne by her hamstring and fear of a virus that took her almost a year to overcome.

Then, on Monday, there it was, falling into Sharapova’s lap. Top of the world, followed by the no. 1 seed at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday in Flushing. Since she won Wimbledon in 2004, Sharapova has fixated on no. 1. She has openly longed for it, and now she has it. The tour, ever mindful of marketing opportunities, celebrated the occasion by presenting the blond beauty with her very own no. 1 trophy.

Now, we’ll see if Sharapova can defend it. Over the next two weeks, she has a lot to prove. Her one Grand Slam title, more than a year old, has passed the stage of ripeness. She has suffered several difficult defeats since then: She lost in the Australian Open semifinals to a subpar Serena, then bowed out of the Wimbledon semis against a reborn Venus. And how often does a no. 1 contender sustain a double-bagel loss, as Sharapova did at the hands of Davenport earlier this year?

Despite her exquisite timing, elegant strokes, and increasingly powerful serve, Sharapova remains a thoroughly beatable player. Serena’s recent comment that many players have a stronger game than the young Russian may have sounded like sour grapes, but it was also true. If Serena were as dedicated as Sharapova, there would be no contest between the two.

To understand Sharapova’s biggest flaw, look no further than her feet. When she is made to run, you can hear them clomping along as her long legs teeter, her shoulders lunge forward, and she loses control of her shots. Long. Wide. Into the net. When Venus Williams, awakening from a two-year daze, decided at Wimbledon that she would play backboard to Sharapova’s groundstroke smashes, the Russian had no answer. Even her much-improved serve – fluid and often reaching 115 mph – looked predictable against the spry Williams.

What does the tennis viewing public think of its new no. 1? In a poll this week on ESPN’s Web site, 79% of people answered “no” to the question, “Will Maria Sharapova win the U.S. Open?” (Nearly 2,400 people voted, including this columnist, who, in the interest of full disclosure, cast a “no” ballot.) Hardly a ringing endorsement for our fair champion.

In truth, this year’s U.S. Open is a tournament without a no. 1 player. Expect the play to be competitive, grueling, and perhaps a bit rough around the edges, which makes for good drama. Several younger women – including a few Americans and some more promising teens from Serbia and Montenegro and the Czech Republic – are primed to make a splash (see sidebar).

The most serious threats to Sharapova, however, still hail from Belgium. Kim Clijsters played outstanding this summer, winning three tournaments on the hard courts that suit her speed, reflexes, and flexibility. A former no. 1 herself, she has reached the finals of four Grand Slam events and walked off the loser each time. She arrives here seeded no. 4. In three matches against Sharapova, Clijsters has yet to lose, including a final in Miami earlier this year.

Henin-Hardenne has played just one tournament this summer, but still she has spent more time on the court than Sharapova. She’s 2-1 against Sharapova in her career, with all three matches this season. The only loss, in three sets, came during Henin-Hardenne’s first tournament of the season after she missed January through March.

What of the other fabled Russians? Since last season, the tide flowing from the Black Sea has ebbed considerably. Svetlana Kuznetsova, last year’s surprise champion, remains an impressive hitter with little patience or grasp of strategy. She, too, has battled injuries of late. Former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina has only recently begun to regain her form, though even at her best she has too few weapons on a hard court. Elena Dementieva has blistering groundstrokes, but her lollypop serve cries out to be bludgeoned with each 77 mph stroll across the net.

Sharapova is clearly the best of the Russians right now, and it may not be more than a year before she is the best in the world. What Sharapova lacks in speed and agility she should be able to make up in strength, especially when she stops growing and adds muscle to her thin frame. Her tactics have improved noticeably since her Wimbledon triumph – she now tries to do more than slug the ball – and the window of opportunity may yet close for the rest of the field.

Could this be the last year that Sharapova’s rank is in doubt? It’s too early to tell, and the U.S. Open is unlikely to produce a unanimous verdict. For the moment, at least, those extra two inches will simply make her knockdown that much more pleasing to whoever lands the decisive blow.

Queens Welcome: The Next Generation of Women’s Tennis

At age 18, Maria Sharapova may be among the youngest women ever to hold the world’s no. 1 ranking, but she’s not even close to being the youngest woman entered in this year’s U.S. Open. Here are some of the most promising young women on the tour and their chances of making some noise in Queens:

Ana Ivanovic The 17-year-old from Serbia and Montenegro is a true slugger and emerging talent. She reached the quarterfinals at the French Open and the third round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Ivanovic recently suffered a pectoral strain that forced her to withdraw from some recent, but if she’s healthy, her booming strokes will pose problems for her opponents on the hard courts of Queens.

Alexa Glatch America’s junior prospects are thin, but Glatch,15, is considered the most promising of the lot. She was the runner-up in the USTA girl’s 18-and-under National Championships, and is ranked 12th in the world junior rankings and 462nd on the professional tour. The USTA granted her a wildcard into this year’s tournament.

Mary Gambale The 16-year-old won a wild card into the main draw when she defeated Glatch in the 18-and-under final at the National Championships. Gambale stands only 5 feet 4 inches, and will likely find herself overmatched early on.

Nicole Vaidisova At 16, Vaidisova is almost certain to be a champion. Twice this year she reached the third round of Grand Slam events, and last week she lost a close match to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Tall and powerful, the Czech could go far in Flushing.

Sesil Karatantcheva The Bulgarian may be just 16, but she works her press conferences like an old pro. Talkative and charming, she has the makings of a star if her tennis continues to improve. Karatantcheva reached the quarterfinals at the French Open this year. This is her second U.S. Open.

Jessica Kirkland The 17-year-old reached the final of last year’s Junior U.S. Open after winning the national title. She has played two Grand Slam events – this year’s Australian Open and last year’s U.S. Open – and never won a match.

Ashley Harkleroad At 20, Harkleroad may not be a teenager, but this will be her second act in tennis. Ranked inside the top 40 two years ago, she shelved her rackets last July and did not return to the game until April. Harkleroad says she burned out; she also wanted to spend time with her mother, who suffered from cancer. Since she returned, her powerful groundstrokes have improved her rank to 131st.

Carly Gullickson The 18-year-old American has moved steadily up the rankings in the last two years, recently reaching an all-time high of 182. No truth to the rumor that her father, former Major League pitcher Bill Gullickson, has a bullpen tryout scheduled with the Yankees.