JOIN USThe powerful Tsonga and doubles specialist Llodra finally gave the blue-clad French support baking inside the converted bullring something to cheer with a dominant performance that clawed back a point for a 2-1 scoreline.
With world number two Nadal and number five Ferrer on blistering form on their favoured surface, Spain remain clear favourites to advance to December's final.
In Sunday's reverse singles, Nadal is due to play Simon and Ferrer will take on Gasquet.
The Spanish, who lost 5-0 to the French in last year's quarterfinals when Nadal was absent, are bidding for a third title in four years and a fifth overall.
France fell 3-2 to Serbia in the 2010 final and their last title came in 2001 thanks to a 3-2 victory over Australia in Melbourne.
Argentina took a big step towards reaching the final when David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro secured a 2-0 lead over holders Serbia in Belgrade on Friday.
The second semifinal at Belgrade will also be decided on Sunday after Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki pulled one back for Serbia with a straight-set victory over Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela and Juan Monaco
The hosts, who suffered a major setback when world number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the opening singles rubber with pain in his lower back and ribs, seemed overpowered by the 2008 finalists when David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro secured lop-sided victories.
However, Zimonjic and Troicki kept the defending champions’ hopes alive with 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-2 win over Chela and Monaco. On Friday, Del Potro produced a clinical performance against Janko Tipsarevic to win 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
The hosts will now be hoping world number one Novak Djokovic, who did not play in Friday's singles, can inspire a remarkable semi-final turnaround in the noisy Belgrade Arena which staged Serbia's final triumph against France last year.
Djokovic, who claimed the U.S. Open title on Monday, pulled out of his opening match against David Nalbandian with lower back and rib pain but is expected to be fit for Sunday's reverse singles clash with Del Potro. Should Djokovic return to face Del Potro, it will be his first singles match for Serbia since they claimed their maiden Davis Cup title with a 3-2 win over France last year.