MULTITITLED Rubilen Amit and rising star Cheska Centeno continued their winning run in the 4th Annual Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship yesterday at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas, Pasig.
Amit, the 2009 women’s World 10-Ball titlist and two-time World Mixed Doubles champion with Efren “Bata” Reyes, used her power breaks to beat B.R. Jung of South Korea, 6-2, and K. Yukawa of Japan, 6-1, respectively, and match the 2-0 record of 13-year-old Centeno of Zamboanga City.
“The break became the difference in the two matches,” said Amit, who plays under the banner of Puyat Sports. “I had a more solid breaking game.”
Centeno dumped M. Grujicic of Venezuela, 6-0, after earlier besting Japan’s Noriko Onoda, 6-4.
Another Filipino, Iris Rañola, however, teetered on the brink of elimination with a 1-win, 2-loss slate following a 4-6 loss to L. Fulberg of Sweden.
Rañola, the reigning Southeast Asian Games double gold medalist, bowed to Japanese Kimuka Maki, 4-6, before nipping Singaporean Charlene Chai, 6-4.
Austrian Jasmin Ouschan, the 2010 World 10-Ball champion, was the first player to advance to the knockout stage with victories over N. Praveen of India, 6-2, K. Sone of Japan, 6-3, and Kim Ga-young of South Korea, 6-4.
Defending champion Kelly Fisher of Britain is at 2-1 following victories over A. Mazhirina of India, 6-2, and Onoda, 6-0, and a 5-6 defeat to Yu Ram-cha of Korea.
The top three from each group of six advance to the next round. Roy Luarca