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5 things at Wimbledon: Rain; Williams vs. Kvitova

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

LONDON (AP) — The forecast calls for heavy showers at Wimbledon on Friday, which could create problems for a schedule that’s already starting to become a bit jumbled.

If there is wet weather, the only arena that can be used is Centre Court, because it has a retractable roof.

As it is, two second-round men’s singles matches were suspended in progress because of rain Thursday and scheduled to resume Friday, including 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt against 2013 semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz. Play in their match was halted at 4-all in the second set after Janowicz won the first set.

Three singles matches were postponed before they even began Thursday, including 19th-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain against Ante Pavic of Croatia. The winner of that match will face ninth-seeded John Isner of the United States, who finished his second-round victory Thursday.

Here are five other things to look for at Wimbledon on Friday:

A COUPLE OF CHAMPS: A couple of past champions meet on Centre Court when Venus Williams plays Petra Kvitova. Five of Williams’ seven Grand Slam titles came at the All England Club, most recently in 2008, while Kvitova won the tournament in 2011 for her lone major trophy. They’re both hard hitters whose games are built for speedy grass — and their past matches have been quite close. Kvitova holds a 3-1 head-to-head lead, but all four lasted three sets, and each of the last two were decided by tiebreakers.

WINNING STREAK: Defending champion Andy Murray takes a 15-match winning streak at the All England Club into the third round against 27th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. Murray won six matches in a row at the place to earn a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, then seven in a row during Wimbledon last year en route to the title, plus another two so far this year. “You’re going to get tested during the tournament. Sometimes that happens in the first round, and sometimes it can happen in semifinals,” Murray said. “It can happen at any moment in the tournament. You just have to be ready for it and expect it before every single match.”

ANOTHER SURPRISE?: Portugal’s Michelle Larcher de Brito could create problems for 2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska on Court 2. The 21-year-old Larcher de Brito made a mark last year at Wimbledon, when she eliminated 2004 champion Maria Sharapova. She is ranked only 102nd, so she had to qualify for the tournament, but Larcher de Brito already won a pair of three-setters to get to the third round, including beating two-time major champion and 28th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova.

FINED FOGNINI: Fabio Fognini, an Italian seeded 16th, plays his first match since finding out he’d been docked $27,500 by Wimbledon for unsportsmanlike conduct and what the tournament termed a visible obscenity during his first-round victory this week. Will he be on his best behavior against No. 20 Kevin Anderson of South Africa on Court 17?

BRYANS START: Defending men’s doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan are scheduled to play their first-round match against Matthew Ebden and Samuel Groth, which was on Thursday’s schedule originally but got postponed. The Bryan twins, who are seeded No. 1, did not reach the final at any of the last three Grand Slam tournaments — after winning four major titles in a row before that, starting at the 2012 U.S. Open.

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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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