WTA Chennai Open: Postponement of singles final sparks controversy

CHENNAI The postponement of the WTA 250 Chennai Open singles final due to rain and fireworks-induced smog on Sunday evening sparked controversy over the organisers’ handling of the situation. The final, set for a 6:30 p.m. start, was delayed thrice due to rain.

Once the rain relented for good, the organisers dried the centre court at the SDAT stadium and rescheduled the final at 9 p.m. However, the smog caused by the Deepavali firecrackers had made the air quality hazardous and the match had to be shifted to 11 a.m. on Monday in which Poland’s Magda Linette defeated Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, the reigning champion, in three sets.

Christopher Bint, Tjen’s coach, in an Instagram story late on Sunday night, claimed that the organisers wanted to conduct the final despite the extremely poor air quality. “And they still wanted the match to go ahead,” he wrote, attaching a screenshot showing an AQI of 1556 in Chennai. Later, after Monday’s summit clash, Bint said, “Maybe, it could have just been postponed a little bit earlier.” Linette felt the doubles final, which started at 4 p.m.