History and a career-defining breakthrough are on the line as defending champion Chezka Centeno and first-time finalist Margarita Fefilova meet in Thursday’s 2026 Women’s World 10-Ball Championship final in Rome, Italy.
For Centeno, the stakes could hardly be higher. Already a two-time world 10-ball champion after triumphs in 2023 and 2025, the Filipina is bidding to become the first player ever to win the prestigious title three times. Victory would also make her the first to successfully defend the title, adding another milestone to what has already been an extraordinary fortnight following her Women’s World 8-Ball Championship victory just ten days ago.
Standing in her way is the Wisconsin-based Belarusian in Fefilova, who has produced the finest run of her career to reach her maiden world championship final. Long regarded as one of the game’s most talented competitors, she has combined resilience, composure and relentless determination to finally earn her shot at a global crown.
Nonetheless, the defending champion has looked every bit the player to beat throughout the week. After negotiating the double-elimination stage, Centeno dispatched Savannah Easton in the last 16, notably running out a set in just 15 minutes, before overcoming fellow Filipina Rubilen Amit in the quarter-finals. Her semi-final performance was arguably her most impressive yet, sweeping past South Korea’s Seo Seoa in straight sets (4-0, 4-0, 4-3).
That calmness has become Centeno’s trademark. Rarely showing emotion regardless of the situation, she has navigated the pressure of defending her crown whilst simultaneously pursuing a remarkable world championship double after lifting the World 8-Ball Championship title in Wisconsin less than two weeks ago.
If Centeno’s route has showcased control, Fefilova’s has been defined by endurance. Her quarter-final against Chen Chia-Hua stretched to an exhausting four-and-a-half hours before the Belarusian emerged with a 3-2 victory. Rather than fading physically or mentally, she returned in the semi-finals to defeat 2022 champion Chou Chieh-Yu in another marathon encounter, winning three tightly contested sets to book the first world championship final of her career.
After reaching the final, Fefilova admitted she was mentally drained but credited significant work on her mindset over the past 18 months for helping her navigate the pressure.
“I’ve been working a lot on my mental game… I used to give up pretty easy and now I’ve got to keep grinding,” she said after her semi-final victory, adding that she intends to approach Thursday simply as “just a pool match” despite it being the biggest occasion of her career.
On paper, Centeno enters as the favourite. She has lifted this trophy twice already, thrives on the biggest stage and is chasing a place in the history books. Another victory would cement her as the most successful player the event has ever seen whilst completing the first successful title defence in the tournament’s history.
However, Fefilova has shown throughout the week that she is more than capable of upsetting the odds. Her grit through multiple marathon matches and newfound mental resilience have carried her into uncharted territory, and with no previous world final experience to weigh her down, she arrives with everything to gain.
Whether the day belongs to the established champion or the first-time finalist, Thursday’s final promises to deliver either a historic third crown for Centeno or a life-changing breakthrough for Fefilova – an appropriately fitting conclusion to another memorable Women’s World 10-Ball Championship.
Prediction: 3-1 Centeno
