Spain's hopes of a hat-trick of Davis Cup triumphs ended when they fell 3-0 behind to France [ Images ] in Clermont-Ferrand after losing Saturday's doubles rubber.

French duo Michael Llodra and Julien Benneteau [ Images ] beat Fernando Verdasco [ Images ] and Feliciano Lopez [ Images ] in four sets to give the hosts an unassailable lead in their quarter-final.

Llodra and Benneteau delighted the enthusiastic home crowd with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 win to earn France a first Davis Cup victory over Spain since 1923 and send captain Guy Forget's team into the semi-finals.

Even without world number one Rafael Nadal [ Images ], resting his knees after his French Open [ Images ] and Wimbledon [ Images ] triumphs, Spain fielded a powerful team but the writing was on the wall when they lost both of Friday's singles.

Gael Monfils beat David Ferrer in five sets before Llodra saw off Verdasco 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

France will face the winners of the quarter-final between Russia [ Images ] and Argentina which the south Americans were leading 2-1 after Horacio Zeballos [ Images ] and Eduardo Schwank [ Images ] won Saturday's doubles in Moscow [ Images ] against Nikolay Davydenko [ Images ] and Igor Kunitsyn.

Serbia edged 2-1 ahead of Croatia [ Images ] in Split when Janko Tipsarevic [ Images ] and Nenad Zimonjic scored a crucial victory over Marin Cilic [ Images ] and Ivan Dodig.

The Czech Republic were in a strong position to beat Chile after taking a 2-0 lead in Coquimbo in Friday's singles.