Chezka Centeno made one thing clear: she simply had an off game.

Centeno denied match-fixing accusations following her heartbreaking 4-1, 4-0, 1-4, 0-4, 4-0 loss to Margarita Fefilova of Belarus in the championship round of the 2026 WPA Women’s 10-Ball World Championship in Rome, Italy Thursday, Aug. 6.

The 27-year-old Centeno, who fell short for a record-breaking third 10-ball title and settled for a silver medal in the elite 64-player women's field, took pride in reaching the final while brushing aside doubts over her championship-round performance.

For the Zamboanga City native, who took the 8-Ball diadem last month, it was simply wasn't her day.

“After seeing how widespread these accusations became, I felt this was something I had to address just once. I understand why some people are disappointed with the outcome, but everyone has off matches,” said Centeno.

“I've seen the match-fixing accusations circulating in some Filipino comment sections, and while I know they don't represent everyone, those claims are simply not true. Miscues and mistakes happen, even at the highest level. That's the reality of sports,” she added.

Centeno stressed that her sole focus was defending her crown while graciously acknowledging eventual champion Fefilova for her impressive performance.

“I stepped to the table with one goal: to defend my title. Unfortunately, things didn't go my way, and my mistakes cost me the match. That's part of competition, no matter how difficult it is to accept,” Centeno continued.

“That said, I'll move forward, just as I always have. Most importantly, Margarita played a great match, earned the championship, and deserves every bit of the credit. Congratulations, Margarita Fefilova Styer,” she concluded.

Centeno bagged the silver medal and the bridesmaid’s purse of $33,000 (around P2 million), while champion Fefilova took home $55,000 (P3.3 million).

Before suffering a finals defeat, the two-time world 10-ball winner got the better of South Korean Seao Seo, 4-0, 4-3, 4-3, in the semis, while dealing Japan’s Chihiro Kawahara a 4-3, 4-1, 3-4, 4-0 quarters loss.

It was an impressive comeback for Centeno despite dropping her second game off a 3-4, 4-2, 2-4 loss to her friend and fellow Filipina champion Rubilen Amit, who was eliminated in the quarters, resulting in her being relegated to the losers’ bracket.

There, Centeno managed to win three more games to keep her contention alive by advancing to the Last 16 where she dispatched American Savannah Easton, 4-1, 2-4, 4-0, 4-1.