Linette rallies past Tjen 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to win WTA 250 Chennai Open

Magda Linette beat reigning champion Janice Tjen 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to win the WTA 250 Chennai Open final in Chennai on Monday. Linette recovered after dropping the opening set to secure the title.

The third-seeded Pole, World No. 68 Linette, had been reluctant to play the event following a round-of-16 loss in Guangzhou, but her team had already committed to her participation. The summit clash was originally scheduled for Sunday before being moved to the reserve day because of rain and Deepavali fireworks-induced smog. The match began at 11 a.m. on the centre court at the SDAT Stadium under a clear sky. There were 600-odd spectators as firecrackers burst sporadically in the distance.

The first set remained tightly contested until Linette misjudged a loopy forehand. Tjen, after wasting five, finally converted a break point with a forehand down the line to take a 6-5 lead. The top-seeded Indonesian then served out the 64-minute opening set.

Tjen's level dropped markedly in the second set: her first-serve percentage fell from 67 to 58 and she committed three double faults. Linette grew in confidence and broke Tjen twice. The Pole took the second set 6-1 to force a decider.

Play was halted for 10 minutes before the third set because of "extreme weather conditions" after the temperature exceeded 30.1 degrees Celsius. After falling behind early in the third, Tjen hit a crosscourt backhand drop shot and an inside-out forehand to break back Linette in a marathon sixth game. Linette immediately restored the advantage and then held serve to move ahead.

Linette dropped only one point in her next two service games and closed out the match in two hours and 43 minutes. She dedicated her triumph to the victims of a mass shooting at Krakow in her home country. "I just want to say that my heart and wishes are with all the victims and those who are hurt," she said.

The victory gave Linette her fourth Tour-level title. In the doubles final on Sunday, the Swiss pairing of Naima Karamoko and Simona Waltert defeated the all-Indian duo of Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale 6-2, 6-0.