SPORTS DIGEST/Swimming: Andrew Bree failed in a last-ditch bid to make the Olympics as he finished runner-up to Briton Ian Edmond at the Scottish National and Open Championships in Glasgow's Tollcross Pool yesterday.

The US-based Ulster club swimmer had hoped Edmond would pull him to the sub-2:14.5 qualifying time he needed in the 200m breaststroke. Edmond won in 2:12.92. Bree touched in 2:15.64.

TENNIS: There was a sense of the changing of the guards at Donnybrook last evening when unseeded Barry King toppled number eight seed Nick Malone in the quarter-finals of the Danone sponsored national championships, writes Pat Roche.

King's 6-3, 6-2 win over the established Malone reflected the improvement in his game. In tonight's semi-final he faces Peter Clarke, the top seed and Ireland's number one player.

Clarke ousted the number five seed in straight sets but there was further evidence of the rapidly improving standards in the Irish junior game when James Cluskey took Conor Niland, the number two seed and Davis Cup player, to a third set.

Cork's Elsa O'Riain upset the seedings when as number three seed she ousted Karen Nugent (2) in the semi-finals.

Top seed Yvonne Doyle was too strong for Gina Niland in the other women's semi-final.

Men's singles - quarter-finals: P Clarke bt C Taylor 6-4 6-4; C Niland bt J Cluskey 6-7 6-3 7-5; B King bt N Malone 6-3 6-2. Women's singles - semi-finals: E O'Riain bt K Nugent 7-6 6-3; Y Doyle bt G Niland 6-2 6-1.

RUGBY: Gloucester have retained the services of three highly-promising youngsters after Nick Wood, James Merriman and Alex Page all signed new deals with the club.

Open-side flanker Merriman, the Wales under-21 captain, has signed a two-year deal as has loose-head prop Nick Wood, an England under-21 player.

Scrumhalf Page has signed a one-year deal.