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What to look for Thursday at the French Open

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS LEHOURITES
AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Five things to look for Thursday at the French Open:

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THE MAIN ATTRACTION: Three days after playing his opening match in the second biggest stadium at the French Open, Rafael Nadal will make his first appearance on the main stage.

The eight-time French Open champion will face Dominic Thiem of Austria in the second round on Thursday. The match will be played on Court Philippe Chatrier, the showcase stadium at Roland Garros.

After his opening win on Monday on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Nadal played down the significance of being forced to play on a smaller court for his first match.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s Chatrier or Lenglen or another court, (being) around here in Roland Garros (is) always going to be great,” the top-seeded Spaniard said. “I am not sure, but probably next one (I’m) going to play in Chatrier. That’s it.”

He was right, and given Nadal’s history at the clay-court major — he’s 60-1 — he will be playing on the big court a few more times this year.

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PAST CHAMPIONS ON COURT: With three former French Open women’s champions already eliminated, that leaves three more with a chance to win this year’s tournament.

Two of them, Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova, will play in the second round on Thursday.

Ivanovic, the 2008 champion at Roland Garros, is seeded 11th this year and will face Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the main stadium.

Over on Court No. 2, 2009 champion Kuznetsova, seeded 27th, will take on Camila Giorgi of Italy.

Serena Williams, Li Na and Francesca Schiavone are all former champions that have already been eliminated this year. The only other French Open winner still in the women’s draw is Maria Sharapova.

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BACK AT IT: American player Steve Johnson will be back on court Thursday for the third day in a row.

The two-time NCAA singles champion from the University of Southern California finished off a five-set win over Laurent Lokoli of France on Wednesday, a match that had been suspended by darkness the night before.

On Thursday, Johnson will face another American in the second round, Jack Sock.

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WATCH IT: Andy Murray will be favored to win his second-round match on Thursday, but he’ll be facing an opponent on quite a winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.

Murray, the reigning Wimbledon champion, skipped the French Open last year but reached the quarterfinals in 2012 and the semifinals the year before that.

His opponent on Thursday will be Marinko Matosevic, a 28-year-old Australian who won his first match at a Grand Slam on Tuesday in the first round — in his 13th appearance.

“He’s a good ball striker. He’s had some good wins on the tour as a result of maybe being a bit up and down,” Murray said. “But he can play good tennis. He’s a strong guy. Yeah, it will be tough.”

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WEATHER: The weather in Paris has been cold and overcast, with plenty of showers.

Although the rain hasn’t caused many delays, it’s a persistent threat, and it’s likely to stay that way.

Brief showers are again forecast for Thursday, with the remainder of the second-round matches on the schedule.

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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