Amit claws out of 0-5 hole, stays alive in women’s world 9-ball tiff

MANILA, Philippines – Call Rubilen Amit the Efren "Bata" Reyes of Philippine women's billiards.

Displaying an uncanny mixture of luck and the same magical ways reminiscent of her idol Reyes, Amit threaded through the proverbial eye of the needle in escaping past Taiwanese Chen Chia Hua, 7-6, Thursday to keep her title bid afloat in the 2023 Kamui Women’s World 9-Ball Championship in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist practically clawed her way back from the dead in erasing a 0-5 deficit and, at hill-hill, had the luck of sinking in the decisive 9-ball at the right side pocket after it caromed off a miss originally intended for the left corner pocket.

The triumph pushed Amit, who trounced Wan Ka Kai of Hong Kong, 7-3, in the opening round earlier, to the third round where she was facing countrywoman Chezka Centeno, who downed Belarus’ Margaret Fefilova, 7-6, and the United States’ Dawn Hopkins, 7-4, at press time.

The winner of that duel will advance to the winners’ qualification while the loser drops to the loser’s bracket where one more defeat would mean outright elimination from this tournament that stakes $30,000.

After the win, Amit profusely apologized to Chen for her “fluke” of a shot.

“I was lucky especially in the last rack. I kept apologizing for the fluke,” said Amit.

But it was magical shots after magical shots that got Amit through out of trouble caused by a horrendous start that allowed her Taiwanese foe to gain an early advantage.

It was like Amit has summoned the power of the man everybody calls “The Magician” — Reyes — as she bedazzled Chen and the crowd with her superb shot making.

And then she got lucky in the end.