Great Britain have their work cut out against France after Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans lost their singles matches on the opening day of the Davis Cup quarter-final tie in Rouen.
Both players lost in straight sets on Friday afternoon, with Edmund being beaten 7-5 7-6(6) 6-2 by Lucas Pouille and Evans going down 6-2 6-3 6-3 to Jeremy Chardy.
World number 44 Evans lost serve three times in the opening set of his match, finding himself 5-0 down and unable to get any sort of route back into it.
That proved to be a sign of things to come, as Chardy took the second set with the only break of serve in the sixth game, before getting over the line in a comfortable manner in the third, again holding throughout.
Edmund also failed to impress against Pouille earlier in the day, though the 22-year-old had a glorious chance to level the match up at one set apiece when forcing a tie-break, which he led 5-2 at one point.
Pouille recovered to open up a two-set lead, and there was to be no looking back as he held in the final set to down his opponent - the first time since 2008 that Britain have failed to take a single set on the opening day of a Davis Cup tie.
Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot face Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau in the doubles on Saturday, while the reverse singles take place on Sunday should they be required.
Daniel Lewis
