Filipina cue artist Chezka Centeno has cemented her status as one of the world’s premier young pool players, with a decorated career highlighted by multiple world titles and international accolades.
However, her latest campaign at the World Pool Association (WPA) Women’s World 10-Ball Championship ended in heartbreak after she fell short of another historic milestone.
Centeno suffered a 4-1, 4-0, 1-4, 0-4, 4-0 defeat to Margarita Fefilove in the championship match held in Rome, Italy on Thursday, August 6, missing out on the opportunity to claim a record-breaking third world 10-ball title.
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The loss also denied the 27-year-old the chance to become the first player—male or female—to win three world 10-ball championships and the first athlete to capture back-to-back titles in the event. Centeno previously ruled the tournament in 2023 in Austria and successfully defended her crown in 2025 in Indonesia.
While the defeat was difficult to accept, Centeno revealed that the most painful part was facing accusations from some fans who alleged that she intentionally lost the match and was involved in match-fixing.
Addressing the controversy, the Zamboanga City native dismissed the claims and emphasized that mistakes are part of any sport, even at the highest level.
Chezka Centeno insists that off days and miscues are simply realities of sports as she falls short of a record-breaking third title in the WPA Women’s World 10-Ball Championship https://t.co/GIQLtsYEyi
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) August 7, 2026
“I understand why some people are disappointed with the outcome, but everyone has off matches. I have seen the match-fixing accusations circulating in some Filipino comment sections, and while I know they don’t represent everyone, those claims are simply not true. Miscues and mistakes happen, even at the highest level. That’s the reality of sports,” Centeno wrote in a Facebook post.
Centeno acknowledged that she was unable to deliver her best performance in the final but gave full credit to Fefilove for producing the stronger showing when it mattered most.
“I stepped to the table with one goal: to defend my title. Unfortunately, things didn’t go my way, and my mistakes cost me the match. That’s part of competition, no matter how difficult it is to accept,” Centeno said.
“That said, Margarita played a great match, earned the championship, and deserves every bit of the credit,” she added.
Despite falling short in the final, Centeno remained proud of her overall tournament performance. She earned $33,000 for finishing runner-up after winning six consecutive matches on her way to the championship clash.
“I’m proud of how hard I worked to reach the finals, even though the ending wasn’t what I had hoped for. I’m allowing myself to be proud of that, and I’m also choosing to give myself the same grace I would give any other athlete who gave everything they had,” Centeno concluded.
Centeno’s journey in pool began at just five years old, and by the age of 11, she was already competing in the Philippine National Games. Since then, she has developed into one of the Philippines’ most accomplished cue sports athletes, earning world championship honors and representing the country on the international stage.
Beyond her success in individual competitions, Centeno has also been a key contributor to Philippine sports, winning four gold medals across three editions of the Southeast Asian Games.
Although she missed out on another piece of history in Rome, Centeno’s continued success at the highest level further strengthens her reputation as one of the greatest Filipino pool players of her generation.
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