By Phil Harlow BBC Sport at The Crucible

White falls to Pinches

Jimmy White's status as People's Champion is unquestionable.

But after his latest departure from The Crucible without the title his army of fans are so desperate for him to win, White looks to be as far away from claiming the World Championship as ever.

This year was supposed to be different.

His fans came into the tournament filled with optimism that their man would finally take that extra step and win the sport's biggest prize.

And this time their optimism was not based on some hopeful fancy that White would roll back the years and magically tap into his peak form.

Instead it was based on hard evidence.

After several seasons where his powers seemed to be on the wane, White has had his most successful and most consistent season in years, finishing second in the Order of Merit table which takes into account all performances over the season.

He reached the final of the European Open in March before securing his first ranking tournament victory in 12 years at the Players Championship.

It was the last tournament before attention shifted to The Crucible, and White looked to be back to his best, seeing off the likes of Peter Ebdon and Paul Hunter.

Whether White can keep the effects of the passing years at bay for long enough to mount another challenge remains to be seen

White, possibly the most popular player the sport has ever known, was clearly still a competitive force to be reckoned with.

And that is why, in its own way, the 10-8 defeat to journeyman Barry Pinches was as devastating as any of the six finals he has lost.

With hopes once again dashed, his supporters must be starting to wonder if the 41-year-old will be able to keep his game together as time begins to catch him.

And the Whirlwind admitted as much in his post-match comments.

"I struggled from shot one, it was just a disaster," said White, who will be 42 in two weeks.

"I'm played out. Maybe winning so close to Sheffield took a bit out of me.

"When it came to concentration I just felt a bit drained - maybe it's my age, I don't know."

Although it is not the most physical of sports, snooker at the top level demands incredible powers of concentration and stamina from the players, and more than ever it is becoming a young man's game.

Pinches humbled the People's Champion

The average age of the top 16 is 30, but nine of the players are still in their 20s, while the fresh-faced likes of Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter and Ryan Day are all staking their claim for a seat at snooker's top table.

The sport is becoming more open and more competitive - in eight tournaments so far this season there have been eight different winners.

The exit of five top-16 players - White, Quinten Hann, Stephen Lee, Ken Doherty and Ebdon - inside the first four days proves the old clich� that there are no easy games at this level.

And White, who has amassed more than �4m in prize money over his 24-year professional career, must continually take on younger, hungrier players.

White will never lack for crowd support and can call on years of hard-earned experience as he continues his quest for the world title.