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

Diwali fireworks added to Chennai's air quality woes as rain further disrupted proceedings, forcing the women's singles final to Monday. Meanwhile, Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale made history as the first Indian pair to reach a WTA 250 doubles final.Thick smog engulfed the SDAT tennis stadium in Chennai on Diwali (PTI Photo)New Delhi,Nov 8, 2026 23:47 ISTThe women's singles final of the WTA 250 Chennai Open was postponed to Monday after rain and poor air quality disrupted the tournament's closing day at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.Top seed and defending champion Janice Tjen of Indonesia was scheduled to take on third seed Magda Linette of Poland in the title clash. However, the organisers were unable to get the match underway after rain interrupted proceedings and smoke from Diwali fireworks engulfed the stadium, affecting air quality.The disruption came after the completion of the women's doubles final, with the singles showdown between Tjen and Linette now pushed back by a day. The postponement means the tournament will be held at 11 am IST on Monday, November 9.The organisers' decision to schedule the title clash on Diwali had drawn criticism, with several questioning the choice of a date when fireworks traditionally fill the city. Poor air quality led to the postponement of Chennai Open final (PTI Photo) The sound of crackers bursting in the vicinity of the venue had affected players even during the semi-final matches, with the noise reaching a crescendo across Chennai on Sunday evening. In tennis, where players are expected to maintain concentration and silence is generally observed during points, such disturbances can be particularly distracting. While spectators are allowed to make noise between points, the repeated bursts of firecrackers outside the stadium made it difficult to maintain the quiet usually associated with the sport.Even clapping during the play is discouraged in Tennis. But in Chennai Open players are expected to play the final in this sound. It is like an active war zone out here. Interesting game it will be. Note: This is the quietest it has been in a while. It is way louder. https://t.co/HUVfk9i22e— Ramasamy Jayaprakash (@ramasamyjp) November 8, 2026Tjen, who won the title last year, reached her second consecutive final after beating American Robin Montgomery 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals. Linette, meanwhile, booked her place in the summit clash with a comeback 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova. The Polish third seed will be looking to claim her first Chennai Open title, having finished runner-up in 2022.VAISHNAVI AND RUTUJA FINISH RUNNERS-UP 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 landmark campaign for Adkar and Bhosale, who became the first all-Indian pair to reach a WTA Tour-level doubles final. The duo had earned their place in the title clash with an impressive 6-2, 2-6, [10-8] victory over second seeds 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.- Ends