CUE MASTERS PREVAIL
Biado, Chua in billiards rematch; Amit, Centeno collide
Apair of all-Filipino finals was arranged in 10-ball singles of the 31st Southeast Asian Games after Chezka Centeno, Rubilen Amit, Carlo Biado and Johann Chua won their semis matches yesterday in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Centeno defeated Vietnam’s Xuan Vang Bui, 7-5, while Amit cruised past Thailand’s Nakjui Pennipa, 7-0, to set up a second straight showdown for the
gold in the women’s event held at the Ha Dong Gymnasium.
Later in the day, Biado prevailed over Singapore’s Sayed Sharik, 9-3, and Chua beat Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp, 9-2, in the men’s side to forge another title encounter in this year’s regional meet.
The Philippines is assured of ending the Games with four golds in billiard sports, adding to victories of Amit and Chua in 9-ball.
Two silvers have also been produced courtesy of Biado in men’s 9-ball and Jefrey Roda in men’s snooker 6-red singles while two bronzes came from the great Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco dela Cruz in men’s 1-carom.
Centeno and Amit square off today at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Manila time) in a rematch of the 2019 final won by the former.
Hoping to keep her crown is Centeno, who bounced back in a big way after she was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s 9-ball singles.
The 22-year-old Centeno has won four SEA Games golds, three of which came at the expense of Amit.
Amit, 40, will try to finish the campaign with a 10th career SEAG crown.
The men’s final will be at 2 p.m. (3 p.m.) with Biado out for revenge against Chua, who took a 9-6 win when they faced each other in the men’s 9-ball final last May 18.
Last year’s US Open champion opened the campaign with a 9-4 quarterfinal triumph over Vietnam’s Kien Do The, who lost to Dennis Orcollo in the 2019 final of men’s 10-ball.
Chua downed Vietnam’s Hoang Duong Quoc, 9-6, in the pre-quarters before taking down Thailand’s Tepwin Arannath, 9-3, in the quarterfinals.