TOKYO: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut clinched France's Davis Cup World Group first-round match against Japan on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 doubles win over Yuichi Sugita and Yasutaka Uchiyama. France, securing the tie 3-0 ahead of the reverse singles on Sunday, will play either Britain or Canada in the quarter-finals. Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon gave France a 2-0 lead with singles victories on Friday. Japan's top-ranked player Kei Nishikori has opted out of the tournament due to a busy schedule. France holds a 4-0 advantage over Japan in Davis Cup head-to-heads. Gasquet faces Yoshihito Nishioka and Simon plays Taro Daniel in the reverse singles on Sunday.