France's quest for their first Davis Cup crown since 2017 continued on Sunday after the country's top male tennis players beat their Brazilian coutnereparts 4-0 to reach the second round of the 2025 competition.

Following wins on Saturday for Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils over Joao Fonseca and Thiago Seyboth Wild respectively, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benjamin Bonzi paired up at the Palais des Sports in Orléans, western France, for their first competitive doubles tie to beat the Brazilian duo Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos.

Herbert and Bonzi won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to offer the hosts the decisive point in the best-of-five series. Qualification secured, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard overpowered Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida 6-4, 6-4 in the show game.

"We were probably favourites on paper as we we're playing at home as well," Herbert said.

"But we knew that the Brazilian team would be tough. Joao has been been making a lot of progress lately and winning a lot of big games and Thiago is never easy to play," the 33-year-old added.

"Marcelo and Rafael know each other like the back of their hand and have had some great victories in Davis Cup;

"So to wrap up the tie 3-0 is really good. We wanted to win the doubles match and not give them hope of staging a comeback."

Return

That return looked more than possible after the Brazilians clinched the first set. A flurry of mid set service breaks ended when Melo eventually held his serve to give Brazil a 5-3 lead. Herbert followed suit and likewise Matos to seal the opener after 41 minutes.

The French broke away to lead 4-2 in the second and held on to take it and level proceedings after 83 minutes.

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