By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
It was not easy for Chezka Centeno this time around, but she was still able to get the job done in dramatic fashion.
Showing steely resolve, Centeno recoiled from the brink of defeat to shock England’s Allison Fisher, 9-8, and advance to the finals of the 2023 WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Championships in Klagenfurt, Austria on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The 24-year-old Centeno looked to be a goner after falling behind 8-4 in the race-to-9 contest but she produced a series of tough shots to complete her miraculous win that left Fisher befuddled and the crowd bedazzled.
The victory arranged Centeno a finals date with China’s Yu Han, who hardly broke a sweat in disposing of Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher also of England, 9-2.
This was Centeno’s second triumph over Allison in this tournament after prevailing over the English veteran, 7-3, in their first meeting in the elimination stage.
But this time, the Zamboanga native had to dig deeper into her bag of tricks to outlast Allison for a shot at the finals slated at 9:30 p.m. (Manila time).
It was also redemption of sorts for Centeno, who bowed to Allison, 9-7, in the quarterfinals of the women’s world 9-ball championship last January in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
A multiple Southeast Asian Games champion, Centeno hopes to carry the momentum when she meets the dangerous Han.
The Chinese was the very player who booted out two-time Filipino world champion Rubilen Amit in the quarterfinals, 9-3.
Han, a two-time semifinalist in this tournament, is a familiar foe to Centeno.
Then 18, Centeno yielded to Han, 7-4, to settle for the silver medal in the women’s 9-ball pool singles in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
