Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno, arguably the Philippines' two best female cue artists, will meet again in the final of a Southeast Asian Games competition after they both got past their respective opponents from Myanmar in the semifinals of the30th SEA Games women's 10 ball competition at the Manila Hotel Tent.
Amit, the two-time world 10 ball champion and current world no. 3, blitzed Thandar Maung, 7-2, while Centeno bucked some shaky potting and had a bit of luck in dispatching A Mi Aung, 7-4, to set up a clash for the gold medal on Saturday, their third such meeting in the SEA Games and first in women's 10 ball singles.
Amit quickly raced to a 3-0 lead, but a poor safety allowed Maung to clean up the table to get on the board in the fourth rack. The six-time SEAG gold medalist looked on her way to a 4-1 lead but her preparation on the 9 ball wasn't ideal, forcing her to take a difficult bank shot which missed. Maung took advantage and trimmed the lead to 3-2.
But that was the last time Maung would score, as Amit regrouped and took the last four racks.
"My focus was good, although I had a few errors," Amit said. "But overall I was very happy with my performance."
Centeno had a more difficult time against Aung, as she had trouble pulling away after taking a 3-1 lead. A miss on a long pot on the 10 in the fifth rack that would have made it 4-1 instead allowed Aung to close the gap at 3-2. The two traded wins over the next four racks before Centeno inched ahead 6-4. Aung was poised to make it 6-5, but stunningly missed on the 10 ball, allowing Centeno to steal the rack and the win to set up a third straight SEA Games final with Amit.
"I had a lot of misses," Centeno said in Filipino. "I was lucky she missed that 10 ball. She's a very good player. She has a good break."
The two previously met in the women's 9 ball finals in the last two SEAG competitions, with Centeno winning both times. But now they will play in Amit's pet event, where she was the world's best in 2009 and 2013.
A third straight Amit-Centeno final in 9 ball also moved a step closer to reality after they both overcame their Indonesian opponents in the quarterfinals of the women's 9 ball singles, just hours before their 10 ball final.
But first, the two good friends need to take care of business in 10 ball, and Amit dismisses the notion that she is the favorite in this event.
"I really don't mind who wins," she said. "As long as it's the Philippines, I'll be very happy. Whoever wins, it will be good for the Philippines."
Centeno echoed this sentiment. "No pressure. Win or lose, it's okay with me."
Amit is looking forward to their packed Saturday schedule, and not just for their singles matches in 9 ball and 10 ball. That's because for the first time, she and Centeno will be joining forces in a women's doubles event.
"We have (9 ball) doubles at 10 a.m., then our 9 ball singles at 1:00 p.m., and then in the evening our finals. So it's going to be fun. I'm really looking forward to the doubles with Pogi (Centeno). And then our semifinals (in 9 ball) we also need to focus on that so that it will be an all-Filipino finals."