Chennai Open women's singles final postponed due to severe smog and heavy rainfall

The WTA 50 Chennai Open women’s singles final has been postponed due to heavy smog and rainfall, with the city’s air quality index (AQI) registering 1,500.

According to TOI, the championship match between Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Poland’s Magda Linette was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday but was postponed as rain interrupted play and smoke from Diwali fireworks affected the air quality around the venue.

The WTA, preceding the postponement, decided to continue the match despite the pollution concerns, drawing criticism from Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.


The Indonesian player, highlighting the smog, shared a picture of the view outside her car on social media, writing, "And they still want the match to go ahead.”

The organiser has set the final for Monday at 11 am, assuring Sunday’s ticket holders that they can enter the venue with the same passes.

TOI reported that the celebrations had impacted the semi-finals, with sounds of firecrackers bursting outside the stadium disrupting proceedings, noting that the Sunday event was especially affected as the Diwali celebrations intensified.

The newspaper also noted that the disturbance made it difficult for the players to maintain their usual playing environment, affecting their performance.

(With inputs from TOI)