Centeno seals semis berth in Women’s 8-Ball World Championship

July 6, 2025 | 10:03pm

MANILA, Philippines -- From dimly lit pool halls back home in Zamboanga City, Filipina ace Chezka Centeno had gone out conquering the world.

And the four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist has come close to adding another crown since her breakthrough world title in 10-Ball in Klagenfurt, Austria two years ago after barging into the semifinals of the WPA Women’s 8-Ball World Championship at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin Sunday.

The 26-year-old Centeno had to rely on both her spectacular shot making and luck to turn back a gutsy Wei Tzu-Chien of Chinese Taipei in an 8-7 hill-hill thriller that propelled the former straight to semis.

There, she tackles Belarusian-born Margarita Fefilova, who downed fellow American Kristina Tkach, 8-4, to emerge the last one standing from the host country, on Monday.

Taiwanese Chen Chia-Hua downed Aussie Hung Meng Hsia, 8-6, and Austrian terror Jasmin Ouschan, who smashed Bulgarian Kristina Zlateva, 8-3, and forged the other semis pairing.

If she ends up hurdling Fefilova, Centeno, who started playing the sport as a five-year-old in Zamboanga City where she had to step on beer cases to reach the pool table, will have a shot at adding another feather in her cap by becoming the first winner of the event.

But she would need more than skills and talent to make it happen.

On this one, she had plenty of it.

After trailing, 7-6, in this match using alternate break format, Centeno won the break on the 14th rack and then watched Wei end up with a dry break on the final frame for that decisive break and run.