Chezka Centeno denies match-fixing claims after foiled bid for world 10-ball history
MANILA, Philippines – Chezka Centeno missed her shot at a feat no player has accomplished in pool history.
Centeno fell short of a record-breaking third title in the WPA Women’s World 10-Ball Championship after a stinging 4-1, 4-0, 1-4, 0-4, 4-0 loss to Belarusian Margarita Fefilova in the final in Rome, Italy, on Thursday, August 6.
The defeat prevented the 27-year-old Filipina from becoming the first player — man or woman — to capture three world 10-ball crowns and the first to win back-to-back as she failed to replicate her triumphs in 2023 in Austria and in 2025 in Indonesia.
And her bid for history came to a heartbreaking end, with Centeno mounting a spirited fightback from two sets down to drag Fefilova to a decider, only to fade in the endgame.
But perhaps the more painful consequence of the loss was the wave of allegations that she deliberately threw the match.
“I understand why some people are disappointed with the outcome, but everyone has off matches. I’ve 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,” Centeno wrote on her Facebook page.
“Miscues and mistakes happen, even at the highest level. That’s the reality of sports.”
Down 0-3 in the fifth and final set, Centeno earned a crack at a possible comeback after a dry break by Fefilova, but the pride of Zamboanga City bungled her shot at the five ball — a blunder that ultimately sent her title defense up in smoke.
The 29-year-old Belarusian then cleaned up the remaining balls for a runout that allowed her to secure her first world title and the top purse of $55,000.
For Centeno, Fefilova simply proved to be the better player in the final.
“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,” said Centeno. “That said, I’ll move forward, just as I always have.”
“Most importantly, Margarita played a great match, earned the championship, and deserves every bit of the credit.”
Centeno, who still pocketed $33,000, also missed the rare chance to reign as champion in two pool disciplines after winning the world eight-ball title a little over a week ago in the United States.
But Centeno chooses to hold her head high, especially after fighting her way to the final despite being sent to the losers’ bracket.
Relegated to the losers’ draw following a 2-1 loss to compatriot Rubilen Amit in her second match of the tournament, Centeno reeled off six straight wins, beating the USA’s Savannah Easton in the last 16, Japan’s Chihiro Kawahara in the quarterfinals, and South Korea’s Seoa Seo in the semifinals to advance to the championship dance.
“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,” she said.
Amit, the first female player to win two world 10-ball crowns after her victories in 2009 and 2013, exited in the quarterfinals at the hands of Kawahara. – Rappler.com
