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Serena Williams looks ahead after French Open loss

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — The last time Serena Williams left the French Open after an early loss, in 2012, she went on to win the next two Grand Slam tournaments — and four of the next six.

So what might the tennis world see from Williams now that she was beaten in the second round at Roland Garros?

“I’m going to go home and work five times as hard,” she said, “to make sure I never lose again.”

Well, that last part might be far-fetched, but the point was pretty clear nonetheless: Watch out when play starts at Wimbledon next month.

Williams, seeded No. 1 in Paris and the defending champion, endured the most lopsided loss of her 288-match Grand Slam career Wednesday, beaten 6-2, 6-2 by 35th-ranked Garbine Muguruza, a 20-year-old from Spain.

It’s only the third time the 32-year-old Williams has exited a major tournament before the third round. She lost to her older sister Venus in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open, and lost to Virginie Razzano in the first round of the French Open two years ago. Right after that setback, Williams began working with French coach Patrick Mouratoglou, a relationship that immediately paid dividends.

Over the rest of that season, she won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and two gold medals at the London Olympics. Then, in 2013, Williams went 78-4 with 11 titles, including at the French Open and U.S. Open.

“She’s definitely the kind of person that, when something bad happens to her, is always able to react. It’s really something that she has in herself,” Mouratoglou said. “When she has a bad loss or she’s really down … it’s also a source of motivation for her to come back even stronger. So I have no doubt that she will tell me very soon that she wants to get ready to go back to work and win again.”

Mouratoglou doesn’t think Williams will enter a grass-court tournament to prepare for Wimbledon — she almost never does — but he’s already got a list of things to focus on that he wrote down during the loss to Muguruza.

There were plenty of areas in which Williams was far from her best in the 64-minute match.

Her serving was only OK; she lost all five points she played at the net; she sprayed 29 unforced errors and, of more concern, only produced eight winners.

“Obviously, I’m super-disappointed and it’s hard. I worked really hard. But, hey, maybe I can do better,” said Williams, whose match was starting on Court Suzanne Lenglen right around the time her sister’s 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to 19-year-old Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia was ending in the main stadium.

“I know for a fact I can work harder,” Williams continued. “I know for a fact I can play so much better than what I did today.”

The pair of losses by the siblings prevented them from playing each other in the third round at the French Open, which would have been their 25th meeting on tour — but first at a major tournament since the 2009 Wimbledon final.

Now as play continues at Roland Garros, Williams’ thoughts will turn to the All England Club.

“It’s great sometimes … to get knocked down, because you have to get back up,” she said. “I love getting back up. I love the challenge.”

___

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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