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Federer beats Falla for 7th Gerry Weber Open title

By WTOP Staff

CIARAN FAHEY
Associated Press

HALLE, Germany (AP) — Roger Federer delivered a statement of intent for Wimbledon on Sunday by winning the grass-court Gerry Weber Open for the seventh time.

Federer fired five aces and saved three of the five break points he faced to defeat Alejandro Falla 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) in the final. It was the 14th title on grass and 79th overall for the 32-year-old Swiss.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion improved his record to 46-5 in 12 appearances at the tournament where he made his debut 14 years ago.

“I’ve left a little bit of my heart here,” Federer said after his ninth Halle final. “I’m very pleased now to go to Wimbledon.”

Federer broke to go 5-3 up in the first set, only for Falla to respond with a break and take it to the tiebreaker.

Federer then started the second set with a break, but a forehand error allowed Falla to respond with a break in the next set. Both held serve to set up the second tiebreaker, where Federer’s experience saw him through.

“To win in a tiebreak is always a bit special; the euphoria, the emotion comes out,” Federer said. “I was able to deal with Falla’s strengths in the final and also (Kei) Nishikori’s in the semifinal. They were my second and third games on grass and I’m very satisfied with the level I could reach.”

It was Federer’s seventh win from seven meetings with Falla.

“He’s the king of kings of tiebreaks,” said Falla, who defeated 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals. “Overall I played very well throughout the whole week and I want to keep it up.”

The 69th-ranked Falla was the first Colombian to reach the final of a grass-court tournament. He was playing his second on tour after he finished runner-up to Ivo Karlovic at Bogota in 2013.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal was knocked out in the second round by the 85th-ranked German wild card Dustin Brown, who became the lowest ranked player to defeat a world No. 1 since No. 98 Mardy Fish upset Federer at Indian Wells in 2008.

“He’s the world No. 1. He’s dug himself out of deeper holes before,” Federer said of Nadal before looking ahead to Wimbledon.

“I think the favorites are the same, regardless of what’s happened in the last years, the last weeks. It all starts at zero,” Federer said.

“I had my own problems last year when I lost early in Wimbledon and I don’t want that to happen to me again. I’m concentrating on that.”

Federer and compatriot Marco Chiudinelli were defeated 1-6, 7-5, 12-10 by Andre Begemann of Germany and Julian Knowle of Austria in the doubles final later Sunday.

Federer had been hoping to repeat his feats from Halle in 2005 and Vienna in 2003 of winning singles and doubles in the same tournament.

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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