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After claiming her first title in over two years, Magda Linette said that health concerns made postponing the Chennai Open final the right call.
Poland’s Magda Linette returns a shot against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen during the singles final match of the Chennai Open WTA 250 tennis tournament
2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette, who on Monday stunned top seed Janice Tjen in three sets at the Chennai Open women’s singles final, said that the organisers could have planned the tournament better, since the festive period had already begun and pollution was an issue.
Linette supported the decision to postpone Sunday’s Chennai Open singles final because of poor air quality caused by firecracker pollution as well, stressing that players, ball kids and spectators shouldn’t be exposed to potential health risks.
The WTA 250 singles final was rescheduled for Monday after rain disruptions and poor air quality forced organisers to abandon Sunday’s proceedings.
“It was more about the pollution and the health factor. You can’t put ourselves in this hazard. It’s not good for the ball kids; it’s not good for anyone watching either. I was really glad that the journalists understood that and managed to stay one more day because it was very unhealthy,” Linette said after the match.
“We definitely would not have been able to play as well as we did today if we had played yesterday. I think we should have played earlier, before the firecrackers started going off,” Linette added.
“I am really glad that we are still being hosted during the holidays, but the timeline of that day could have been better,” Linette said.
For the Polish star, Monday’s win was particularly satisfying as she snapped a tough run of results to claim her first title in over two years.
“I went to sleep and woke up at 11 and my team woke me up and said, ‘We are going; we have decided for you’. So I was like, okay. I was really desperate this week and I am really proud of myself,” Linette said.
The final proved to be another test of her resilience. After narrowly losing the opening set, Linette bounced back well to dominate the second before keeping her composure in the decider.
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Ask News18The WTA 250 Chennai Open singles final between Janice Tjen and Magda Linette was postponed due to rain disruptions and hazardous smog caused by firecrackers, which created severe air quality and visibility issues.
Ask News18November 09, 2026, 16:30 IST
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