Manila---THIRTEEN year old Cheska Centeno of the Philippines kicked off her campaign with a 6-4 win over Japan's Noriko Onoda as the WPA (World Pool-Billiard Association) 4th Annual Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship got underway yesterday at the Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas.
Before a huge and appreciative crowd, the Zamboanga native cue artist broke the 4-all deadlock winning two consecutive racks for a 6-4 victory.
"Mabuti na lamang naging matatag ako sa bandang huli, masyadong dikitan ang laban eh," she said.
But reigning Southeast Asian Games double gold medalist Iris Ranola also from the Philippines is not as fortunate as she dropped her opening matches against Kimuka Maki of Japan with a similar 6-4 output.
"Di sumasablay y'ung kalaban natin eh. Hanggang sa huli matatag pa din sya saka malas talaga," said Ranola who hails also from Zamboanga City.
Ranola had a chance to reach the hill but missed a tough 9-ball show allowing her Japanese rival to seized 5-4 lead and never looked back.
"Krusyal y'ung 9-ball pero mahirap talaga kung naipasok ko y'ung lamang sana ako na 5-4 para maging puro ako at ako pa ang sasargo," she added.
With the early setback, Ranola is a must win situation against Charlene Chai of Singapore. Ranola and Charlene, both 1-1 record in their head to head matches.
Charlene defeated Ranola during the semi-final round of the 2009 Laos SEA Games but the latter's (Ranol)a avenged her defeat after edging the former (Charlene) in this year's WPA World 9-ball in China.
A whopping top prize $21,000 is up for grabs in the Dragon Promotions event and supported by Asian table mammoth Yalin Billiards, advanced cue engineer OB Cues, long lasting Championship Tour Edition Cloth, top playing Aramith Balls, and #1 TV network broadcaster ABS-CBN.
In other matches saw, Kyoko Sone of Japan nipped Amanda Rahayu of Indonesia, 6-2, Xiao Ting Pan of China crushed Shen Men Liu of Chinese-Taipei, 6-2, Lin Hsiao Chi of Chinese-Taipei waylaid Nicola Rossouw of Republic of South Africa, 6-2, Chang Yang Ting of Chinese-Taipei dealt Bokka Junko of Korea, 6-2, and Lai Hui Saan of Chinese-Taipei outclassed Kynthia Ofrandis of the Netherlands, 6-5.
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