Chezka Centeno barged into the semifinal after dethroning defending champion Chou Chieh-Yu of Chinese Taipei, 9-2, in the quarterfinal of the WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Championships in Klagenfurt, Austria early Saturday (Manila time).
Centeno, 24, is coming off a 9-0 demolition of Germany’s Melanie Sussenguth in the Last 16 to set up a match with Chou, who previously lost to two-time WPA champion Rubilen Amit, 7-6, last Wednesday.
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games women’s 10-ball champion is aiming for her first WPA crown at the senior level as she bagged the 2015 WPA World Nine-ball Junior championship in Shanghai, China.
Centeno is competing against Alison Fisher of England in the semifinal duel as of press time.
This is a rematch of their earlier meeting where the Filipino cue artist defeated Fisher, a Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, 7-3, in the winners’ qualification last Thursday.
A win over Fisher will send her to the final where she will face either Yu Han of China or another British player in Kelly Fisher on Sunday, 22 October.
By making it into the semifinal, Centeno is assured of $12,500 or roughly P708,762.
Meanwhile, Amit’s dreams of a third WPA crown vanished after a 3-9 loss to Han in the quarterfinal
Amit, who won the WPA crown in 2009 and 2013, first defeated Kristina Zlateva of Bulgaria in the Last 16 before going up against Han in the quarterfinal.
Despite the exit, the 42-year-old Filipino cue artist is still slated to take home $6,250 or roughly P350,000.
