Dec. 11, 1999 11:05 PM AP

By JOSEPH WHITE

AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) Like a tiny ballerina popping out of a music box, Tara Lipinski donned a lovely white dress and enchanted her audience with a spotless performance Saturday night to win her first major professional title.

Skating to the chimes of "Dream Catcher" by Secret Garden, Lipinski scored two perfect 10.0s for artistic impression to become the youngest winner ever in the World Professional Figure Skating Championship.

"When I come to compete, I get just as nervous," said Lipinski, 17, who also became the youngest female skater to win the Olympic gold in 1998 in Nagano. "I wasn't as nervous as at the Olympics tonight. There's a slight difference. But I do enjoy this. I did the amateur. I had some fun with that, and now I get to experience this."

Alexei Urmanov was magic - literally - as he won the men's competition with a prop-filled routine to music from "Phantom of the Opera."

Urmanov, also competing here for the first time, turned a cane into a handkerchief and back again, pulled paper flowers from his chest to give to a judge and did three triple jumps in between while wearing a bizarre red-feathered hat. A red cape, at least 12 feet long, trailed behind.

"Everybody was looking for something different, something that you don't have, that he doesn't have," Urmanov said. "And my program is also different from the others. There are lot of things, here, here and everywhere."

Urmanov wasn't quite as good as Philippe Candeloro, who won the artistic program with a long, dynamic routine to music from "Braveheart" that earned one 10.0 for artistic impression. But Candeloro was in fourth after Friday's technical program and only made up enough ground to finish second overall.

"I've never won a gold medal in international competition in my life," said Candeloro, who won two bronze medals at the Olympics. "I am a little bit disappointed."

Every competition produced a first-time winner. Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow won the dance over defending champions Maya Usova and Evgeny Platov, but the biggest upset came in the pairs.

Elena Leonova and Andrei Khvalko, traditional also-rans always skated slow and struggled with their jumps in past years, scored the biggest victory of their careers. Khvalko fell on a his double axel, but the pair had built a big enough lead after the technical program to top 1999 champions Elena Betchke and Denis Petrov and defending titlists Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev.

"This is a very big thing for us," Leonova said. "I think we should drink some champagne. We came here, we lost in '97, '98. For two years we've been in third place and we didn't want to lose again.

"We were a little disappointed because of the mistake. You always want to skate clean. It has never happened with him before, it has been me. The big surprise was when Andrei fell."

As with her technical program Friday night, Lipinski didn't skate a particularly difficult routine. There were no combination jumps, but she landed three perfect triples and was the only skater to perform a spiral and a layback spin.

Since turning pro, Lipinski has split her time between skating and acting, with more emphasis on tours than competition. But she said this victory may make her want to compete more.

"Yes, when you win, it gives you confidence," Lipinski said.

Switzerland's Denise Biellmann, serenaded by fans singing "Happy Birthday" as she turned 37, finished second with a lively mambo number marred only by a salchow jump that she doubled instead of tripled.

There was no change in the women's order of finish from Friday night's technical skate. Surya Bonaly was third, followed by Oksana Baiul and Tonia Kwiatkowski.

Kwiatkowski, skating as Marilyn Monroe, fell twice. Baiul, who finished last with embarrassing performances each of the last two years, seemed out of sorts again and failed to complete a triple jump as she skated as a genie to music by Cher. Bonaly's performance was ragged, and she nearly crashed on her trademark backflip.

Leonova and Khvalko's only previous significant victory came in the 1997 U.S. Open. Unlike the sport's big names, they have no sponsor to supplement their income.

"I don't think we'll get a sponsor, but we'll get some jobs," Leonova said. "The title is very, very important for us. It may change our lives."

In the men's competition, six-time champion Brian Boitano finished third skating a 1960s number in a psychedelic black and white shirt. Ilia Kulik skated a creative routine with a baseball cap, but he fell attempting a jump while holding the cap and finished fourth.

In the dance, Punsalan and Swallow made a large black umbrella their third partner as they skated to "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" by Itzhak Perlman. They received one 10.0 for artistic impression.