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Isner takes 19-17 tiebreaker, wins at Wimbledon

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

LONDON (AP) — After taking a tiebreaker by the score of 19-17 on the way to reaching Wimbledon’s third round for the first time, John Isner put it quite succinctly: “I’m no stranger to matches like this.”

Sure isn’t.

The man who is best known for winning the longest tennis match in history did what he does best, serve well, and beat 62nd-ranked Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 7-6 (17), 7-6 (3), 7-5 with the help of 32 aces Thursday.

“That tiebreaker was something else,” said the ninth-seeded Isner, the only American man remaining of the 10 who were in the field. “Fortunately, I won.”

Only one men’s singles tiebreaker at Wimbledon contained more points than the 36 played by Isner and Nieminen: Bjorn Borg won a tiebreaker 20-18 in 1973.

Isner fought off five set points for Nieminen in that tiebreaker. And Isner finally converted his eighth set point when Nieminen sent a forehand wide.

By winning a pair of tiebreakers Thursday, Isner improved to 24-12 in the set-deciding format this season.

“For whatever reason, when I’m that situation, I always have a lot of adrenaline, and I’m always serving my best,” said Isner, who beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set of an 11-hour, 5-minute match spread over three days in Wimbledon’s opening round in 2010.

“The name of the game for me is just taking care of the two points on my serve. Put the pressure back on my opponent. That’s what I did.”

Pounding serves at up to 138 mph (223 kph), Isner never faced a break point against Nieminen and while he only was able to convert 1 of 7 chances of his own, that was enough. It came in the next to last game, making it 6-5 in the third set.

“I get in a lot of matches where it just becomes a ‘hold-fest,'” said the Florida-based Isner, “which is fine, but it’s not ideal.”

Last year at the All England Club, Isner needed to quit after only two games in the second round because of an injury to his left knee, which was covered by a thick bag of ice after Thursday’s match.

His departure in 2013 was part of a historically poor performance by U.S. men: They all were out of the draw before the third round, the first time that happened at Wimbledon since 1912, when none entered the tournament.

“At least,” he said, “there’s one guy past the second round.”

Just him, though. The three other American men in action Thursday lost. Sam Querrey was beaten 14-12 in the fifth set by No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in a match that was halted because of fading light at 9-all Wednesday night. Jack Sock went out in straight sets against No. 8 Milos Raonic of Canada, and Denis Kudla did the same against No. 10 Kei Nishikori of Japan.

Led by five-time champion and top-seeded Serena Williams and her sister Venus, also a five-time titlist at Wimbledon, the U.S. women are faring better, with five already into the third round. Two won their second-round matches Thursday: Madison Keys, who lives in Florida, beat 31st-seeded Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-2, and Alison Riske, who is based in Georgia, eliminated Camila Giorgi of Italy 7-5, 6-2.

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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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