Expectations are not met as medal hope Roebuck finishes sixth

Roebuck, from Rotherham, was sluggish in qualifying and did not fare much better in the final of the 200m butterfly – clocking a 1.57.44 time that was well outside his personal best.

South Africa's Chad Le Chos stormed to victory in a new Games record while England's Michael Rock – also off the pace in the heats – recovered to steal silver ahead of Canada's Stefan Hirniak.

But Roebuck, who goes again in Thursday's 400m medley, admitted he was at a loss to explain his performance.

"That was well below my expectations and I don't really know why," he said.

"It was just a really bad race. I am not sure why it did not go too well. I tried to pick the pace up but I just felt heavy.

"I will try and work it out with my coach to see if I did anything technically wrong. It's disappointing but I can put it right because I have got my main events later in the week.

"Hopefully, I will figure it out in that time and get back on track."

At least Rock's silver did give the 25-year old, who holds the British and Commonwealth record in the 400m medley, some cause for cheer ahead of his favourite event.

"Michael is a friend so I am happy to see him get a medal," he added.

"I thought it was an opportunity to cause an upset and it was not a particularly fast race so I am annoyed. It was a missed opportunity."

Jo Jackson's miserable season continued as she placed fifth in the 200m freestyle final.

Jackson, a triple medallist at last year's World Championships in Rome, has battled illness and injury for nearly 12 months and looks a shadow of the swimmer who burst through with an Olympic medal in Beijing and shone in the Rome sun last August.

Her time of 1.58.66 was well outside her best as England team-mate Rebecca Adlington took a surprise bronze in her least favoured event and Welsh rising star Jaz Carlin claimed silver behind Australia's Kylie Palmer.

Elsewhere in the pool, 17-year-old Aimee Willmott, from Middlesbrough, acquitted herself well at just her second major international event, finishing sixth in the 200m medley final.

City of Leeds youngster Anne Bochmann suffered heartache in the 200m medley, ending the heats ninth quickest to miss out on a final berth by just over a second.

Meanwhile, in the Indian capital there was better news for history-making archer Danielle Brown who ended day one ranked 14th after the individual compound qualification day.

Brown, from Lothersdale, is the first disabled athlete to ever represent England in an able-bodied event at the Commonwealth Games and acquitted herself well in the 32-strong field.

But despite shrugging off the press scrutiny and producing a solid display to lie just 23 points off the lead the 22-year-old was the first to criticise her own performance.

"I was a little disappointed," said Brown. "I didn't shoot as well as I could do. In all fairness it doesn't count too much.

"I'm 14th at the minute, but we're ranked second as a team and just a couple of points off first.

"I was struggling with the conditions. Some really good scores were shot. But my arrows were grouping all over the place randomly. So I am going to look at that."

Elsewhere, Amy Oliver ended the recurve qualification day in seventh overall while tennis ace Sarah Borwell, and partner Ken Skupski, easily progressed through the opening rounds of the mixed doubles with a straight sets victory.

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