By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipina Chezka Centeno’s unbeaten run came to a halt, losing to Chinese Taipei’s Chou Chieh-Yu, 4-3, 4-2, in the quarterfinal round of the 9-Ball PBS Women Showdown at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on Friday, March. 1 (Manila Time).
Chou was the very player she defeated in the quarters of the Las Vegas tournament which she won undefeated.
This time, it was the Taiwanese who emerged victorious that ended Centeno’s 9-game winning streak.
The Zamboanga City native actually went ahead 3-2 in the opening frame but she had a scratch in the sixth rack as she tried to hit the no. 2 ball which Chou immediately took and never looked back to take two consecutive racks.
Though the momentum was on the Taiwanese side, Centeno refused to be deterred and made some counters by tying the score at 2-all.
But the hopes swiftly vanished as Chou made some delicate shots that all but took the fight out of Centeno.
Meanwhile, Carlo Biado will face Chang Jung Lin of Chinese Taipei in the last 16 in the 2024 WPA Predator World 10-Ball Championship.
World champions in the likes of Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp, Austria’s Albin Ouschan, USA bets Skyler Woodward and Shane Van Boening are also competing in the same round.
