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What to look for Friday at the French Open

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS LEHOURITES
AP Sports Writer

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

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FACING FEDERER: Roger Federer will be back on court Friday at the French Open, playing a familiar opponent on unfamiliar ground.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion — and one-time French Open champion — will face Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in the third round.

Federer is 4-0 against Tursunov, but they have never met on clay or in a Grand Slam tournament.

The last time they faced each other was at Indian Wells, California this year, with Federer winning 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2).

Each player broke the other’s serve twice.

“Tursunov is a different player all together,” Federer said after his second-round victory at Roland Garros, thinking back to Indian Wells. “It was a tough match.”

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CONCENTRATED SHARAPOVA: Maria Sharapova hasn’t been shaken by the upsets so far at the French Open. She’s too busy trying to ignore it all.

The 2012 champion at Roland Garros will face Paula Ormaechea of Argentina in the third round, and that’s all that concerns her.

“You always have to follow your path and always concentrate on your work and who’s ahead of you and not get worried about what’s going on,” Sharapova said after her previous match. “Obviously, when you go on court you’re aware of a lot of the upsets, not just in the women but in the men, as well. So it’s great to get a win in that type of atmosphere.”

Besides winning two years ago and completing a career Grand Slam, Sharapova reached the final last year but lost to Serena Williams.

Williams, the defending champion, was one of the big upsets this week, leaving Sharapova as the favorite.

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GET READY: Novak Djokovic is getting ready to step up his game.

After a quick, straight-set win in the second round, Djokovic will face Marin Cilic of Croatia on Friday in the third.

“Since he started working with (Goran) Ivanisevic, he’s playing very, very, very good,” Djokovic said Wednesday. “He’s a big guy, and he can play really aggressive. If he feels the ball well, he can be dangerous.”

Djokovic needs to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

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FRENCH FAVORITES: The last Frenchman to win the title at Roland Garros was Yannick Noah in 1983, but two of the players hoping to bury that statistic will be on court Friday.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up, will face Jerzy Janowicz of Poland. And Gilles Simon will take on Milos Raonic of Canada.

Tsonga reached the semifinals at the French Open last year, beating Roger Federer in the quarterfinals before losing to David Ferrer.

Simon made it to the fourth round a year ago, equaling his best result at Roland Garros.

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TALENTED TAYLOR: Taylor Townsend earned herself some new fans with her second win at the French Open, including Andy Murray.

She’ll try to get another victory on Friday against 14th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.

Murray also reached the third round on Thursday, and he was asked about Townsend after his win.

“I love the way she played tennis, basically,” the Wimbledon champion said. “She’s just a really nice player to watch. She hits the ball great. She’s very talented. She volleys. You don’t see that much now, don’t really see it on the men or the women’s tour at all.

“Yeah, she was just very fun to watch. She’s going to be a very good player.”

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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