Filipina cue artist Chezka Centeno fell just short of another major title, dropping a tightly contested 0-2 (3-4, 3-4) match to former World No. 1 Wei Tzu-Chien of Taiwan in the 2026 Las Vegas Women’s Open.
The 26-year-old had an incredible run in the tournament, winning six consecutive matches. This included an impressive quarterfinal victory over World No. 1 Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, where Centeno clinched the match in a deciding shootout after splitting the first two sets 4-2. She followed that up by defeating World No. 9 Kristina Zlateva of Bulgaria in the semifinals with a commanding 2-0 sweep, taking the sets 4-2 and 4-1.
Chezka Centeno Comes Up Just Short in the Finals
However, she was heavily challenged in the finals, with Wei Tzu-Chien racing to a 3-1 lead in the first set. Centeno showed her composure, digging deep to force the set into a decider. She kept that momentum going in the final rack, but the Taiwanese star answered with a brilliant defensive shot, hiding the 4-ball away. That safety forced Centeno into a costly error, allowing Wei to clear the table and secure the set.
Centeno came back stronger in the second set, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead. But Wei crawled back, tying the set at 2-all. In the fifth rack, Centeno faced a difficult shot on the 2-ball and attempted a skillful one-rail kick, but it wasn’t quite enough. Wei capitalized, running the table down to the 10-ball. Centeno had a final chance to steal the rack but missed, allowing Wei to secure the lead.
Centeno found herself in trouble again in the sixth rack but responded with poise, drilling a perfect jump shot on the 6-ball to level it at 3-all. Her comeback fell just short as the Taiwanese star locked down the final rack with brilliant defensive plays, securing the title.
Chezka Centeno earned $15,570 for her second-place finish, while Wei took home the top prize of $27,000. This marks Centeno’s second consecutive runner-up finish on her US tour, following her loss to Taiwan’s Chou Chieh Yu in the WPBA Classic Championship last week.
(Watch the final here:)
