Chezka Centeno came within one victory of becoming the first pool player—male or female—to win two world championships in the same year.
However, after falling into an early hole, the Filipina mounted a spirited comeback but ultimately came up short, losing to former Europe No. 1 Margaret Fefilova Styer of Belarus, 3-2, in the finals of the 2026 Banca del Fucino WPA Women’s 10-Ball World Championship on Thursday in Rome, Italy.
Just 11 days earlier, on July 27, Centeno defeated two-time world champion and former world No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England in the finals of the 2026 Oneida WPA Women’s World 8-Ball Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
This time, however, Centeno faced an opponent who had looked nearly untouchable throughout the tournament.
Fefilova entered the championship match unbeaten, while Centeno had to battle her way through the loser’s bracket after suffering a second-round loss to compatriot and mentor Rubilen Amit.
Both finalists entered the title match with dominant semifinal performances.
The 27-year-old Centeno blanked reigning 2025 World 9-Ball champion Seo Seoa, 3-0, while Fefilova eliminated Taiwan’s Chou Chieh-yu, the 2023 World 9-Ball and 2022 World 10-Ball champion.
Centeno took the opening set to grab a 1-0 lead, but her opportunities became scarce afterward as Fefilova reeled off the next four racks to claim the second set.
The Belarusian maintained her momentum in the third set, completing a sweep to build a commanding 2-0 advantage in the race-to-three-sets final.
Centeno then displayed the composure and resilience that have made her a three-time world champion.
She regained control in the fourth set with a 4-1 victory before dominating the fifth, 4-0, to force a winner-take-all deciding set.
Fefilova, however, regained her rhythm in the decider.
She prevailed in the tactical exchanges, won the crucial safety battles, and capitalized on her scoring chances to complete a sweep of the final set and capture her first world championship.
