Almost, indeed, is not enough.
Chezka Centeno rallied back from two sets down but fell short against Margarita Fefilova, 1-4, 0-4, 4-1, 4-0, 0-4, in the Banca del Fucino WPA Women’s 10-ball world championship final Thursday evening (Manila time) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Rome, Italy.
The defending champion Centeno tried to push for a reverse sweep after dropping the first two sets, but could not complete the come-from-behind rally in a heartbreaking finish.
After the Filipina cue artist erased the Belarusian’s lead, 2-all, Fefilova displayed remarkable steadiness in the first game of the fifth set to take a 1-0 lead.
The two players then had a hard time in the second game, especially with the 2-ball.
Centeno eventually connected, and she sank consecutive balls. However, she missed on the bank, which turned the tide as Fefilova was able to finish off the rack and take a massive 2-0 lead.
In the third game, the Filipina had costly errors – first, a shot that resulted in a foul on the 4-ball, then getting the safety wrong on the 5-ball – which ultimately led to Fefilova reaching the hill.
While Centeno showed signs of life in the fourth game, Fefilova cleared the rack late to grab the victory.
Still, it was a run to remember for Centeno, who would have won her third crown in the event.
The 27-year-old pride of Zamboanga won the 8-ball trophy just a week ago.