Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit scored contrasting victories on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to stay in contention in the 2024 WPA World Women’s 9-Ball Championships in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Centeno, who earned a first-match bye, encountered a tough time in making her title campaign felt after surviving Spaniard Mayte Ropero,4-3, 3-4, 4-0, to advance into the next round while Amit blanked Australian Gemma Schuman, 4-0, 4-0, to stay alive in the loser’s qualification.

The Mandaue City native Amit was actually coming off a second-match defeat to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chia Hua, 0-4, 4-2, 3-3 (3-1), but was able to regain her bearings to dominate Schuman and set up her next match against China’s Yu Han in the loser’s bracket.

The match is being held at press time.

Centeno is also competing in the winner’s qualification at press time against Japanese Yuki Hiraguchi, who was fresh from escaping past Argentina’s Ayala Soledad, 4-3, 3-4, 3-3 (2-1).

Another win for Centeno would book her a spot in the knockout stage.

Amit, a two-time world 10-ball champion, seeks to clinch the elusive 9-ball crown this time. She came close to the title in 2007 held in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei but lost to Chinese Pan Xiaoting -- the best finish any Filipina made in the history of the tournament.

She had two semifinal finishes -- in 2018 and 2019 both held in Sanya, China.