By JONAS TERRADO
Rubilen Amit outclassed Singapore’s Jessica Tan, 7-2, on Tuesday to retain her women’s 9-ball singles crown in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Amit was in cruise control right from the onset, taking the first three racks to the delight of her supporters.
The Singaporean, however, pulled to within 3-2.
But it proved to be the Singaporea’s last hurrah as Amit won the last four en route to completing her run inside the Ha Dong Gymnasium.
It was Amit’s second straight gold and fifth overall in 9-ball competition of the regional meet. Her other golden feats in the said event were in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2019.
The 40-year-old also pocketed her ninth SEA Games gold, adding the victories in women’s 8-ball singles (2005 and 2009), women’s 10-ball singles (2013) and women’s 9-ball doubles (2019).
A 10th gold could be a possibility as Amit will return to action Thursday for the start of the women’s 10-ball singles.
Amit’s latest feat came despite not facing good friend and protege Chezka Centeno in the final after the latter suffered a shock exit in the opening round.
The two had met in the women’s 9-ball singles final the previous three times, with Centeno winning in 2015 and 2017 before Amit broke the spell in 2019.
Amit survived Singapore’s Charlene Chai, 7-6, in the quarters before prevailing over Vietnam’s Bui Xuan Vang, 7-4, in the semis.
