A delayed final goes three sets
Magda Linette beat top seed and defending champion Janice Tjen 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in Chennai on November 9 for her fourth tour singles title. Adverse weather had moved the final from Sunday to Monday.
At 5-5 in the first set, Tjen raised her forehand level to secure its only break and then take it 7-5. Third seed Linette responded by redirecting the ball to move her opponent, winning the second 6-1 and taking a 3-1 lead in the decider.
The WTA’s report describes Tjen’s tendency to lean towards the ad court to create forehand opportunities. Linette exploited the space by changing direction and won nine of eleven games during her turnaround.
An immediate response to being caught
Tjen drew level at 3-3 after a five-deuce battle, creating her sixth break point with a drop shot and converting it. Linette immediately broke back to reclaim the lead.
She later served out to love, using a volley, an overhead and two unreturned serves. Four years earlier, she had led Linda Fruhvirtova 4-1 in the deciding set of the Chennai final before losing. This time she converted her advantage into the trophy.
Chennai joins The Bronx 2019, Hua Hin 2020 and Prague 2024 among her titles. It was her ninth tour singles final and the first event at which she has reached the final twice.
A demanding week after a difficult spell
Linette opened the tournament with a 3-hour, 33-minute match and came from a set down in each of her final three matches. In the quarter-final she also trailed 5-3 in the second set and 4-2 in the third. Her total court time was 12 hours and 28 minutes.
She said the week proved she could still fight through difficult situations. After reaching the ’s-Hertogenbosch semi-finals in June, she had won just one of her next ten matches, and credited her team for continuing to seek solutions through that slump.
In her victory remarks, Linette also expressed sympathy for victims and injured people following the shooting in Krakow, Poland, saying it was difficult to celebrate fully. On court, repeated recoveries had delivered a title in a challenging season.
