Amit, Centeno make WPA KO stage

Filipina Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit routed Taipe’s C.Y. Chou, 6-4, in Group 7 yesterday to advance to the knockout round of the ongoing WPA (World Pool-Billiard Association) 4th Annual Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship at the Robinson’s Galleria in Ortigas.

The win gave the Cebuana ace a 3-0 slate in the single round group eliminations among eight players to clinch a spot in the Last 24 of the annual event featuring the world’s top lady cue masters.

“Chou is strong but I played better at endgame,” said Amit, the top player of Philippine billiards God Father Aristeo “Putch” Puyat.

She beat B.R. Jung of Korea, 6-2, and K.Yukawa of Japan, 6-1, in the previous rounds.

“My main target is to win my remaining games for an automatic slot in the Final 16,” added Amit, who won Women’s World 10-Ball Championship four years ago.

Group play topnotchers gain automatic slots to the Last 16 while the second and third ranked players march to the Last 24.

Amit will next play Y.T. Chan of Chinese-Taipei and I.Helvik of Norway in the tournament that awards $21,000 to the champion.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Cheska Centeno of Zamboanga City bounced back from a sorry loss to Yu Ram Cham of Korea by edging A. Mazhirina of Russia, 6-5, that gave her a 3-1 slate in Group 1. Yu topped Group 1 with a clean 4-0 record.

Actually, Centeno jumped to a commanding, 2-0 lead against Yu before the latter won the next six racks for the come-from-behind win.

However, another Filipino entry Iris Ranola kissed her campaign goodbye after losing to S. M. Chen of China, 6-0. The world No. 2 Chen topped Group 4 with a 4-1 slate.

Other notable players who advanced to the Final 24 are defending champion Kelly Fisher of Great Britain (3-1 in Group 1) and 2010 World 10-ball champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria (3-0 in Group 2). /correspondent Marlon Bernardino