Sharapova set to shop around

LOS ANGELES — So what does a girl who loves to shop do with $1 million?

“That’s a lot of shoes,” said Maria Sharapova, winner of Wimbledon and the year-end WTA Championships.

The 17-year-old Russian is headed off to a “super-fantastic” vacation knowing she beat the world’s top players over five consecutive days to earn one of the richest paychecks in women’s tennis.

“I certainly deserve a spot on that list,” she said.

Sharapova rose to a career-high fourth in the year-end WTA rankings released Tuesday after starting the year at No. 32. She finished with a 55-15 match record and her fifth title after defeating an injured Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Monday night.

“I’ve had an amazing year and accomplished so much,” she said. “To achieve so much, I don’t think a lot of people realize that I’m still 17.”

Lindsay Davenport claimed the year-end No. 1 ranking for the third time in her career, although she failed to advance to the semifinals after winning a Tour-best seven titles.

“To be able to do it at 28 is quite an accomplishment,” Davenport said.

Sharapova’s run through the season-ending tournament proved a breakthrough, with three victories over players against whom she had losing records. She beat countrywomen Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, and outlasted fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina in three sets in the semifinals after losing to her three other times this year.

“It just shows that I came a long way in a short period of time,” she said.