SIBIU, Romania — France advanced to the Davis Cup quarterfinals after Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra won a five-set doubles match today to give their country a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five World Group first-round tie.

Clement and Llodra, ranked eighth and 12th in the doubles, beat Romania's Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-2 in a match that lasted more than four hours.

"Even if we are winning 3-0, all three matches were hard," Clement said.

Clement and Llodra served more accurately than the 23-year-old Romanians, who played more aggressively at the net but were plagued by double-faults.

France is 7-1 against Romania in Davis Cup. Romania won in 1974.