By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Rubilen Amit used her vast experience to the max and survived Chezka Centeno in an all-Filipino clash, 4-0, 4-1, 1-4, 4-2, to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024 WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship in Hamilton, New Zealand on Friday, Sept. 6.
The 42-year-old Amit, runner-up in the 2007 edition and a two-time semifinalist, held her ground after a third-frame mishap to outhustle her dear friend and younger rival in this $175,000 tournament.
A bank shot on the 8-ball on the last rack virtually sealed the win for Amit, who calmly sank the 9-ball for the win.
The win set her up an interesting showdown with Chinese Taipei’s Wei Tzu-Chien which is being held at presstime.
Wei, who won the WPA Raxx Invitational in West Hampstead, New York last June, was coming off a 4-1, 2-4, 4-2, 4-1 victory over Indonesia’s Silviana Lu.
Other players who advanced to the quarters were two-time winner Kelly Fisher of Great Britain, who swept Japanese Sakura Muramatsu, 4-1, 4-3, 4-2; 2017 champion Chen Shiming of China, who thumped South Korea’s Seoa Seo, 4-2, 4-2, 4-0; Japanese Chihiro Kawahara, who edged Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wan-Ling, 4-0, 1-4, 4-2, 4-1.
Also in the Last 8 were two-time runner-up Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, who survived Taiwanese Chen Chia Hua, 3-4, 0-4, 4-3, 4-2, 4-1; China’s Liu Shasha, who defeated Bulgaria’s Kristina Zlateva, 4-2, 0-4, 4-1, 4-1; and Kristina Tkach, who squeaked past Margarita Fefilova, 2-4, 1-4, 4-3, 4-2, 4-0.
