“It Was Very Unhealthy”- Magda Linette Questions Chennai Open Scheduling Amid Hazardous Conditions

The Chennai Open final was supposed to bring the tournament to a close on Sunday evening. Instead, the players spent hours waiting as rain repeatedly interrupted proceedings. When the showers finally stopped, another problem emerged around the SDAT Tennis Stadium.

Thick smoke from Diwali firecrackers had reduced visibility, and the much-anticipated title clash between Magda Linette and Janice Tjen still had not begun. The women’s singles final was initially scheduled for 6:30 PM IST on November 8, immediately after the doubles championship match. However, rain forced officials to delay the start several times. Ground staff eventually began drying the court, and organizers announced that the finalists would take the court at 9 PM.

That plan also fell through. Smoke from firecrackers had engulfed the stadium, and the worsening visibility raised further concerns about whether it was safe to play. Both finalists discussed the situation with tournament supervisor Sheetal Iyer before leaving the court. The organizers eventually called off the match, and the WTA confirmed that it would be played at 11 AM on Monday, November 9.

The decision brought an end to a difficult evening for everyone involved. Linette later explained that the concern went beyond the inconvenience of another delay.

“It was more about the condition and the health factor. So, I think it was a tough decision, I think, to make in general. You never know until you actually see the numbers. First of all, we can’t put ourselves in this hazard, but also it’s not good for the ball boys. It’s not good for anyone right now, for people watching,” the Polish star said after winning the final.

Linette also appreciated the journalists. She believed the conditions on Sunday would have affected the quality of the tennis had the finalists been asked to compete.

“I was really glad that the journalists understood that and managed to stay one more day because it was very unhealthy. We definitely wouldn’t have been able to play as well as we did today if we had played yesterday,” she added.

However, the 34-year-old did not think postponement was the only issue organizers needed to consider. She felt the schedule itself could have been planned differently, especially because the tournament coincided with Diwali.

“I think we should have played earlier, before the firecrackers started going off. You have to take that into consideration next time. I am really glad that we are still being hosted during the holidays, but the timeline of that day could have been better,” she said.

The scheduling concerns also came after other weather interruptions during the tournament. Chennai Open’s opening-day main-draw program was washed out by persistent rain on November 2, with seven singles and three doubles matches scheduled. Rain also caused a lengthy interruption on the following day. The final’s postponement was therefore another setback in a week that had already tested the organizers’ ability to keep the schedule on track.

There was still a title to decide on Monday, and Linette made sure the extra wait ended with a trophy. The third seed faced defending champion Tjen and lost a closely contested opening set 5-7. She responded with a commanding 6-1 second set before holding her nerve in the decider to win 6-4.

The victory gave Linette her fourth career WTA singles title and her first since the Prague Open in July 2024. It also ended a difficult run of results that had left her searching for consistency during the second half of the season.

Janice Tjen Questions Chennai Open Organizers After Final Postponement

Linette was not the only finalist who raised concerns about Sunday’s events. Defending champion Janice Tjen also questioned the organizers after the repeated delays, particularly the attempts to get the final underway despite the worsening air quality.

The Indonesian shared a video from outside her car on Instagram. It showed a thick layer of smog covering the city, along with an air-quality reading of 1,556. Tjen added a pointed caption to the post: “And they still wanted the match to go ahead.”

The post attracted attention because the final had already been delayed several times due to rain. Organizers had initially expected the players to take the court at 9 PM after the ground staff completed the drying process. However, the poor visibility and hazardous conditions eventually forced the postponement.

Tjen’s coach, Christopher Bint, also addressed the controversy after Monday’s final. He clarified that his concern was the timing of the decision, not an outright refusal to play on Sunday. According to Bint, the organizers could have called off the match earlier instead of waiting until around 10 PM.

There was also a difference between the air-quality figures reported that evening. The reading shared on Tjen’s Instagram post reached 1,556 on AQI.in, whereas the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board reported an average reading of 178 at 10 PM, according to The New Indian Express. These figures came from different monitoring sources and should not be treated as directly comparable measurements.

Despite the disruption, Monday’s rescheduled final delivered a competitive contest. Linette dropped the opening set 5-7 but responded with a dominant 6-1 second set before securing the deciding set 6-4. The victory gave her a fourth career WTA singles title and her first since winning the Prague Open in July 2024.

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