Chennai Open final scheduled for Diwali postponed due to poor air quality, rain

The women’s singles final of the WTA 250 Chennai Open was postponed to Monday after rain and poor air quality marred the final day of the tournament at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Top seed and defending champion Janice Tjen of Indonesia was scheduled to face third seed Magda Linette of Poland in the title fight. However, the organizers failed to start the match after rain interrupted proceedings and the stadium was engulfed in smoke from Diwali fireworks, affecting air quality.

The disruption occurred after the completion of the women’s doubles final, when the singles match between Tjen and Linette was pushed back a day. The postponement means that the tournament will be held on Monday, November 9 at 11:00 AM IST.

The organizers’ decision to schedule the title match on Diwali drew criticism, with several questioning the choice of a date when fireworks traditionally fill the city. Poor air quality leads to postponement of Chennai Open final (PTI Photo)

The sound of crackers popping near the venue affected the players even during the semi-final matches, with the noise reaching a crescendo on Sunday night in Chennai. In tennis, where players are expected to concentrate and silence is generally observed during scoring, such interruptions can be especially disruptive. While spectators can make noise between points, repeated bursts of firecrackers outside the stadium made it difficult to maintain the calm usually associated with sports.

In tennis, it is not recommended to even clap during the game. But in Chennai Open, players are expected to play the final in this sound. It’s like an active war zone here. It will be an interesting game. Note: This is the quietest I’ve been in a while. It’s much louder. Ramasamy Jayaprakash (@ramasamyjp) November 8, 2026

Tjen, who won the title last year, reached her second straight final after beating American Robin Montgomery 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals. Linette, meanwhile, secured her place in the top-flight with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback win over seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova. The Polish third seed will be looking to claim her first Chennai Open title after finishing runner-up in 2022.

VAISHNAVI AND RUTUJA END MORE

Earlier in the day, India’s Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale finished runners-up in the women’s doubles after suffering a 2-6, 0-6 defeat to the Swiss combination of Simona Waltert and Naima Karamoko.

The Indian pair struggled to match the quality of their opponents, with Karamoko dominating at the net and Waltert providing solid support from the baseline. The Swiss duo broke the Indians early in both sets and maintained control throughout the contest to seal the title.

Despite the defeat, it was a a campaign milestone for Adkar and Bhosalewho became the first Indian pair to reach a doubles final at the WTA Tour level. The pair earned their place in the title race with an impressive 6-2, 2-6, (10-8) victory over second-seeded Weronika Falkowska of Poland and Alana Smith of the United States in the semi-finals.

Their run was among the highlights of India’s campaign at the tournament and marked a significant milestone for women’s doubles tennis in the country.

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