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 match, but the organisers could not start the match after rain interrupted proceedings and the stadium was engulfed in smoke from Diwali fireworks.

Why the final was postponed

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 the tournament final will be held on Monday, November 9 at 11:00 AM IST. The WTA confirmed the new timing in an official statement.

The statement said, "Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the Women's Singles Final between Janice Tjen and Magda Linette has been postponed. The match will now take place tomorrow (November 9, 2026) at 11 a.m."

The sound of crackers popping near the venue affected the players even during the semi-final matches on Sunday. A tennis official told The Hindu that smoke and noise had made it impossible to start the match on time. The stadium, which usually hosts the tournament, was engulfed in thick smoke, adding to rain interruptions.

A Diwali date under question

The organisers' decision to hold the tournament during Diwali drew criticism, with several questioning the choice of date when fireworks traditionally fill the city with smoke. The poor air quality and rain together made it impossible to play, and the final had to be moved to the reserve day.

The tournament will drop off the calendar in 2027, making way for the WTA 250 in Manila, Philippines. That makes this the last Tour-level event on Indian soil for the foreseeable future, and the weather disruption is a bitter ending for the tournament.

For the players, the extra day changes preparation. Both finalists had already played their semi-finals, and the delay gives them a day of rest before the title match. The final will now be played on Monday morning, with the trophy decided before the tournament closes.

Tjen chases second straight title

Tjen, who won the title last year, reached a second straight final after beating American Robin Montgomery 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals. The defending champion and top seed will be looking to retain the Chennai Open crown on Monday.

Linette secured her place 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.

Linette, 34, built a 5-1 lead in the decisive set against Zakharova and held on to win in one hour and 55 minutes. Tjen advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Montgomery in 83 minutes. The final pairs the defending champion against a former runner-up, both in strong form.

Indian pair make doubles history

Earlier, 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 Swiss duo broke the Indians early in both sets and maintained control throughout the contest to seal the title.

Despite the defeat, the campaign was a milestone for Adkar and Bhosale, who became the first Indian pair to reach a doubles final at WTA Tour level. The pair earned their place in the title race with a 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. Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi also made history at the event, becoming the first Indian player to reach a WTA Tour singles quarterfinal since Sania Mirza in 2012.