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Halep, Bouchard advance to Wimbledon semifinals

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN WILSON
AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Simona Halep of Romania and Eugenie Bouchard of Canada will meet for a place in the Wimbledon final after winning quarterfinal matches in straight sets Wednesday.

The third-seeded Halep, down 4-1 in the first set, won 11 games in a row to beat 2013 finalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-4, 6-0 in 57 minutes on Centre Court.

The 13th-seeded Bouchard defeated No. 9 Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals at a third consecutive Grand Slam.

“I’m just excited to be in the semis again and I want to go one step further for sure,” Bouchard said.

Halep, runner-up at the French Open, is the first Romanian woman to get this far at the All England Club since the Open era began in 1968. Bouchard, who hasn’t dropped a set in five matches, is the first Canadian woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.

Their progress to the final four has underlined the rise of a new crop of players in the women’s game. Former champions Serena and Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova are all out of the tournament.

“I think it’s a normal evolution of things as the great champions get a bit older the new ones start coming in I think it’s a really exciting time for women’s tennis,” said the 20-year-old Bouchard, who will break into the top 10 in the rankings next week.

Halep and Bouchard are both 15-2 in Grand Slam matches this year.

The other semifinal is an all-Czech matchup between 2011 champion Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova.

Halep and Bouchard have played each other only once, with the Romanian winning.

Bouchard was in control against Kerber — who beat Sharapova on Tuesday — after saving four break points while serving at 3-all in the first set, a game that lasted nearly 10 minutes.

“I was really trying to stay in the moment,” Bouchard said. “I knew I couldn’t think ahead and things like that and that’s what I’ve been working on for a while now to try to stay mentally in the moment. I few bad errors but at the same time I hit a few good aggressive shots and that’s my game.”

Halep, meanwhile, took command of her match by attacking Lisicki’s weak second serve. The German won only eight of 26 points on her second serve. She also had 20 unforced errors, compared to 11 by Halep.

“She had 4-1 and then I came very well back,” Halep said. “I played my best today and I was enjoying every moment because it was incredible on Centre Court.”

Wednesday’s schedule also featured all four men’s quarterfinals. Defending champion Andy Murray was up against Grigor Dimitrov; seven-time winner Roger Federer faced fellow Swiss Stan Warwinka; top-seeded Novak Djokovic played Marin Cilic; and Milos Raonic was pitted against 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios, the 144th-ranked player who stunned Rafael Nadal on Tuesday.

Among those in the Royal Box were Prince William, second in line to the British throne, and his wife Kate.

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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