Chezka Centeno didn’t just win another world championship—she erased old heartbreaks and defeated some of the sport’s biggest names to remind everyone why she belongs among billiards’ all-time greats.
The 27-year-old Filipina completed a remarkable redemption campaign by defeating England’s Kelly Fisher, 9-6, to capture the 2026 Oneida WPA Women’s World 8-Ball Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday morning (Philippine time).
The victory gave Centeno her third career world title, adding the Women’s World 8-Ball championship to the World 10-Ball crowns she won in 2023 and 2025.
What made the triumph even more impressive was the path she took to get there.
Centeno marched through the tournament undefeated and eliminated four former world No. 1 players in the knockout rounds, proving she could conquer the toughest field women’s billiards had to offer.
Her redemption journey began in the Round of 16, where she exacted revenge on defending champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria with an 8-4 victory. The win avenged last year’s heartbreaking 9-8 finals defeat, where Ouschan denied Centeno the same title.
The challenges only became tougher.
Centeno next faced her longtime mentor and Philippine billiards icon Rubilen Amit, a three-time world champion, in an emotional all-Filipino quarterfinal. The Zamboanga City native prevailed, 8-6, to move one step closer to another world crown.
She followed it up with an 8-5 semifinal victory over Chinese Taipei’s Wei Tzu-chien, who held the world No. 1 ranking as recently as August 2025.
Waiting in the championship match was another decorated opponent in Fisher, a two-time world champion and former world No. 1.
The title showdown lived up to expectations.
Fisher struck first and held early advantages at 1-0 and 2-1 before Centeno found her rhythm, taking her first lead after the fifth rack. Neither player managed to pull away as the match remained tied at 5-5.
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WORTH EVERY SHOT
Chezka Centeno paid tribute to her late mother after capturing the 2026 Oneida WPA Women’s World 8-Ball Championship with a 9-6 finals victory over former world No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England, expressing gratitude to everyone who supported her. pic.twitter.com/oSudB0ktxf
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) July 27, 2026
That was when Centeno made her move.
The Filipina claimed two consecutive racks to build a 7-5 cushion, but Fisher refused to fade quietly, trimming the deficit to 7-6 and threatening another momentum shift.
Instead, it was Fisher’s costly mistake that proved decisive.
The English veteran miscued on what appeared to be a routine corner-pocket shot in the 14th rack, allowing Centeno to clear the table and move within one rack of the championship.
Centeno appeared ready to finish the match in the next rack but missed the 12-ball that would have left only the 8-ball on the table.
The door briefly opened for Fisher until an instant replay review ruled that she had committed a foul on a safety attempt. The decision awarded Centeno ball-in-hand, giving her one final opportunity to close out the match.
This time, she made no mistake.
Centeno calmly cleared the remaining balls to secure the 9-6 victory and complete one of the most impressive championship runs of her career.
Long before the knockout rounds, Centeno had already established herself as one of the tournament favorites after cruising through the double-elimination qualifying stage.
She opened with a 7-2 victory over American Ada Lio before defeating Turkey’s Eylul Kibaroglu, 7-3, and South Korea’s Seo Seoa, 7-5, to enter the championship bracket unbeaten.
By the end of the tournament, Centeno had done far more than lift another trophy. She had avenged a painful finals loss, defeated a mentor she deeply respects, toppled four former world No. 1 players, and added another historic chapter to what has become one of the greatest careers in Philippine billiards.
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