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Nadal not up to usual standards heading to Paris

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — For once, not everything seems so obvious heading into the French Open.

Yes, Rafael Nadal will still be favored by most to win the clay-court Grand Slam tournament yet again. He is, after all, 59-1 for his career at Roland Garros, winner of a record eight championships, including the last four.

Still, if the 2014 tennis season to date is any indication, there could be some surprises in store when play begins in Paris on Sunday. So far, there already was one new major champion, Stanislas Wawrinka at the Australian Open. And there has been a rather egalitarian feel to the spring clay circuit, with nine winners at nine tournaments.

The three top men in the ATP rankings — No. 1 Nadal, No. 2 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Wawrinka — each claimed a Masters title on the slow red surface, including Djokovic’s victory over Nadal in the Rome final last weekend. That gave Nadal three clay losses in a season for the first time since 2004, when he was all of 17 and yet to make his French Open debut.

“It’s more normal this year than the last 10 years have been because the last years have been strange and we’ve gotten used to having these great finals between the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world and one player dominating the whole year — and we started to think that’s normal. Really, that’s the exception,” said Mats Wilander, who won the French Open three times in the 1980s.

“Heading into the French Open, it’s more exciting. The regular tour probably benefits from having one superstar that’s cleaning up everything, or maybe a rivalry,” Wilander added. “But the French Open and the other Slams benefit from having no clear-cut favorite. That’s the way it used to be, and I think it’s better. I don’t think we want to go there and ask ourselves: Is Nadal going to win a ninth time? That just doesn’t excite me at all. It’s much more exciting to think that Djokovic is the favorite or that (Roger) Federer has a chance.”

Not surprisingly, Nadal does not exactly agree.

He’ll be seeded No. 1 for only the third time at Roland Garros — one of those years, 2009, was when his lone loss came, against Robin Soderling in the fourth round — but he could relinquish the top ranking to Djokovic over the course of the 15-day tournament.

Asked about the idea of this year’s French Open being a little less predictable, Nadal replied: “I don’t care. I don’t know. I think about myself. What I have to do.”

In addition to dropping a fourth consecutive head-to-head match against Djokovic, Nadal’s defeat at the Italian Open followed a series of difficult three-setters in Rome, as well as losses in the — gasp! — quarterfinals of Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

His 41-match winning streak at Barcelona ended against Nicolas Almagro, who had been 0-10 against Nadal.

That came after being beaten at Monte Carlo by David Ferrer, whom Nadal easily beat in last year’s French Open final and hadn’t lost to anywhere on clay in a decade.

Then again, as Wilander points out, these earlier-than-usual exits mean Nadal arrives in Paris with less wear and tear. Plus those losses were all in best-of-three-set matches, while the French Open is best-of-five. And Nadal did earn the title at the Madrid Open, so he knows he’s not completely out of sorts.

“There’s all this scar tissue he can reason with and say, ‘Hold on, I won Madrid, this is the French Open, I’m fresher than ever.’ He’s going to put a little less pressure on himself but still go in with a sense of confidence knowing it’s five sets,” Wilander said. “And he can think, ‘What are they going to do? How are they going to beat me in two hours? That’s never going to happen. I have four hours to solve this problem.’ That gives him confidence right away.”

Djokovic, for his part, is trying to complete a career Grand Slam with his first French Open title, after losing to Nadal in the semifinals last year and the final in 2012. He was sidelined recently with an injured right wrist but sure looked absolutely fine in Rome.

The Serb called his victory there “definitely a confidence booster” because beating Nadal on clay is the “ultimate challenge.”

“I’m very happy with my game so far,” Djokovic said, “and hopefully I can carry that into Roland Garros.”

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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