Chezka Centeno bags first-ever World 10-ball crown
2023-Oct-23 17:00
Filipina cue artist Chezka Centeno bagged her first WPA Women's World 10-Ball Championship crown after downing China's Han Yu in the race to nine finale. PHOTO: Predator Pro Billiard Series
Teenage cue artist Chezka Centeno became the latest Filipino champion in the world of billiards.
Centeno, 24 years old, outclassed China's Han Yu, 9-5, to capture the 2023 World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Women's World 10-Ball Championship title on Sunday, October 22, in Klagenfurt, Austria.
"I can hardly believe it. I am your new Women's World 10-Ball Champion! This journey started when I was a five-year-old with a dream and today, I am living it!" the Zamboanga native wrote on a social media post.
"It's a surreal moment that brings back memories of countless hours of hard work, tears, and disappointments. They are all worth it," she added.
Pocketing 50,000 dollars (around 2.8 million pesos), Centeno is the second Filipina after Rubilen Amit to win the tournament, with the latter bagging the 2009 and 2013 tilts.
Cheered by Amit at the sidelines, the four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist quickly raced to a 4-1 lead over Han, a three-time world women's nine-ball winner.
When Han had a miscue on the two ball, Centeno decisively seized the chance to finish off the Chinese by clearing the eight balls left.
Letting her emotions out, Centeno broke into tears as she shared a hug with Amit after sinking the 10 ball.
She also avenged Amit, who lost to the same Chinese foe in the quarterfinals, 9-3. The two-time 10-ball titlist still earned $6,250 or approximately P350,000 for reaching the final eight phase.
It was a fitting end for Centeno's stellar campaign in the competition.
Sweeping all her five matches never went easy for Centeno, especially in the semifinals against Great Britain's Allison Fisher.
Holding her nerves in the next five racks after trailing by 4-8, Centeno scored a come-from-behind 9-8 triumph over the legendary Fisher to arrange a finals showdown with Han.
Centeno advanced to the knockout stages after beating Pan Xiaoting of China, 7-4, and England's Allison Fisher, 7-3, in the eliminations.
In the Round of 16, she demolished Germany's Melanie Sussengut, 9-0, before breezing past Chinese Taipei's Chou Chieh-Yu in the quarterfinal round, 9-2.