Britain's Katie Boulter looked set to cause a major upset before world number five Caroline Garcia showed her quality in the decisive moments to put France ahead in the Billie Jean King Cup.
Boulter, 26, lost 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) as the hosts came close to making a dream start to the qualifier.
Boulter saved two match points before losing a compelling contest that lasted three hours and 26 minutes.
Britain's Harriet Dart plays Alize Cornet next on Friday in the singles.
The tie in Coventry is best-of-five matches with the winner earning a spot in the finals of the women's team event in November.