Defending champion Aditya Mehta retained the national snooker title and his ranking as the No. 1 snooker player in the country after he defeated IBSF World No 3 Kamal Chawla 6-2 in the 78th National Snooker championship final at PYC Hindu Gymkhana in Pune.

Last year Mehta won his first ever national title at Chennai in August,  having been runner up in 2007 and losing in the semi-finals in 2009.

Mehta lost the first two games to Chawla, but then came back strongly to win the next six in a row including the last game with an unbeaten break of 80. He had scored a century break in the league stage – one of only five scored in the championship.

Speaking to the media, Mehta said, “I would rather win a match making consistent breaks of 70 than make century-breaks and lose the match.”

He also acknowledged that he was under pressure in the finals, having lost to Chawla in the past. “It was my mistakes, which helped him to win first two frames. After that I executed my plan well. I was pretty sure what I wanted to do and I did exactly the same.”