The doubles was much tighter and Murray and Inglot had chances to win each of the first three sets but instead suffered a narrow 7-6 (9/7) 5-7 7-5 7-5 defeat to end their campaign for another year.
But, instead of the grass of Queen's Club, this time they must conquer Rouen's indoor clay and do so without world number one Andy Murray, who is resting an elbow injury and may yet miss the entire clay court season.
With Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet injured and new father Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also missing, France, the strongest nation in men's tennis, will rely on two players with just six Davis Cup rubbers between them.
Chardy and team-mate Lucas Pouille have played just six singles rubbers between them, while their British opponents this afternoon in Rouen, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund, have contested 18 and six respectively.
The contentious issue is the staging of the competition's last two rounds at neutral venues and the resultant dispensing with the home-and-away approach, which may harm the appeal for top players and supporters alike.
The fourth set went with serve until the 12th game, when the French took the match on their second match point to win in three hours, 23 minutes. Chardy, 32 places adrift of Evans in the rankings at No68 but unbeaten in four appearances for his country, won 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
Great Britain captain Leon Smith admitted his envy over the resources available to rivals France after his side's Davis Cup quarter-final defeat ended in somewhat farcical circumstances.
United Airlines changes policy after 'horrific' passenger ordeal
The disturbing videos have been uploaded multiple times on YouTube, with one viewed more than 3 million times as of Saturday. A United Airlines passenger was dragged from his seat aboard a Sunday night flight at the O'Hare International Airport.
Britain have only lost two Davis Cup doubles rubbers under Smith - both to United States twins Bob and Mike Bryan - but this is a tough ask, with Mahut and Benneteau among the format's leading practitioners.
"It's a damn sight better than it used to be but there's still work to be done".
It is important to note that the post was accompanied by a good luck message and was of Murray playing on the day before the Davis Cup match.
"So yes we might have a different format and go to Dubai, it's going to be economically very good, but I think we're going to lose something that is essential".
"A quarter-final, a win, a semi-final, a quarter-final - in decades previous you weren't getting that".
He said: "Dave came and made a speech to the council and we gave our opinions and then the next day the message was: "We are going ahead anyway". There, they will play either Novak Djokovic's Serbia or Spain, who are without Rafael Nadal in the other tie in that group in Belgrade.
Comments