Magda Linette wins Chennai Open title after match rescheduled due to pollution
The third-seeded player defeated Janice Tjen in the final after rain and firecracker smog delayed the match from Sunday.
Third seed Magda Linette defeated top seed Janice Tjen 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to win the WTA 250 Chennai Open on Monday. According to News18 and The Hindu, the singles final was originally scheduled for Sunday but was moved to Monday following rain disruptions and poor air quality caused by firecracker pollution.
Linette, who is 34 years old, said the organisers could have planned the tournament better because the festive period had begun. She supported the decision to postpone the match, stating that players, ball kids, and spectators should not be exposed to health risks from the pollution. She added that the tournament should have been played before the firecrackers started going off.
The final at the SDAT Stadium lasted two hours and 43 minutes. The match was briefly suspended for 10 minutes before the decider due to extreme weather conditions with temperatures exceeding 30.1 degrees Celsius, as reported by The Hindu.
Linette dedicated her victory to the victims of a mass shooting in Krakow, where six people died on Saturday, according to The Times of India. She said her thoughts were with those who were hurt.
In the doubles final held on Sunday, the Swiss pair Naima Karamoko and Simona Waltert defeated the Indian duo Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale 6-2, 6-0, according to The Hindu.