By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit took contrasting paths to reach the Last 16 of the 2026 Oneida WPA Women’s 8-Ball World Championships in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Friday, July 24.
Centeno, last year’s finalist, stamped her class with dominant victories over Ada Lio of the United States, 7-2; Eylul Kibaroglu of Turkey, 7-3; and Seo Seoa of South Korea, 7-5, to cruise into the knockout stage.
Amit, meanwhile, had to battle through the one-loss side after opening her campaign with a win by forfeit over Egypt’s Salma Shaheen. The Filipina veteran followed it up with a convincing 7-3 triumph over hometown bet Savannah Easton before absorbing a 5-7 setback to Chinese Taipei’s Wei Tzu-Chien that sent her to the losers’ bracket.
The 44-year-old Cebuana, still chasing the elusive world 8-ball title to complete her collection after conquering the 9-ball and 10-ball disciplines, quickly regained her form by routing Canada’s Brittany Bryant, 7-3, to join Centeno in the Round of 16.
Amit will next take on American Sofia Mast, while Centeno faces defending champion Jasmin Ouschan in a rematch of last year’s final, where the Austrian edged the Zamboanga standout, 9-8.
Should both Filipinas emerge victorious, they will set up an all-Filipino quarterfinal showdown.
