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�It was fantastic, I enjoyed every minute it,� said 23-year-old Hunter, who collected a cheque for �82,500 and picked up the Regal Welsh trophy for the second time.
�The first time I won this, it went to my head a bit and I went out drinking too much. I have realised now that you have to practice to win tournaments and there is no reason why I can�t go on to become a regular winner.

�I played really well and I could have won 9-2 but Ken kept coming back at me. I had a great chance to win 9-6 but he pinched that frame. I knew I had to win the next because I didn�t want to go 8-8 and I made a really good break.

�I should have won the last frame of the first session � I missed an easy black. But I didn�t let that play on my mind and I just got on with it when the second session started.

�There was a bit of extra motivation for me because Ken beat me so easily in the final last year and I didn�t want a repeat of that. I just went out and concentrated on my own game and tried to play the same way that I did against Graeme Dott in the semi-finals.

�I wasn�t at my best earlier in the tournament � I had a bit of luck against Ronnie O�Sullivan and Peter Ebdon - but I think I deserved that.

�Before I came to Cardiff, nothing had really gone for me. But I decided to put the rest of the season behind me and try my best.

�My biggest aim is to win the world championship and I know I need more stamina if I am going to do that. This was only a five-day tournament but it felt like two weeks.

�I�m looking forward to the Masters now. I�ve got a tough draw against Stephen Lee in the first round but I will go to Wembley with a lot of confidence.�

Doherty was frustrated to have come off second-best for the second successive tournament, having lost 10-1 to O�Sullivan in the final of the UK Championship in York last month.

�I am a bit down because sport is all about winning and you don�t like to lose when you get so close.

�Maybe in a few days I will look back on the tournament and realise that I did pretty well to get to the final, but at the moment I am very disappointed. I played well in the semis against Stephen Hendry and I thought I was going to do it.

�I put Paul under the cosh a lot today but he kept getting out of it by knocking in a long one. The difference between this year and last was that he was much more consistent and he didn�t miss many easy balls.

�I made a few errors in the first session and that cost me in the end. It was Paul�s day today and I take my hat off to him.

�I�m looking forward to the Masters � it�s always been one of my goals to win that one and I hope I can continue the form I have shown here.�