ATP No. 182 Ramanathan, who is yet to make it to a Grand Slam main draw, lost in straight sets to World No. 197 Gian Marco Moroni 3-6, 5-7. WTA No. 104 Ankita Raina, on the other hand, suffered a pale 1-6, 0-6 defeat to World No. 120 Lesia Tsurenko.
The focus will be on Bhambri, who lost invaluable three years due to a troubling knee but in a few tournaments that he has played going into the fresh season, the talented Delhi player seems ready for the grind yet again.
In the decisive set, Ankita dropped her serve in the eighth game but got the break back in the next.
The 34-year-old Sania will become the first female athlete to represent India at four Olympics when she competes at Tokyo 2020.
The Indian tennis body has also sent names of Balram Singh and Enrico Piperno for the Dhyanchand honour.
Ankita had won a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, where the winner was assured of a Continental qualification place in the women's singles draw at the Tokyo Olympics.
Ankita, up against higher-ranked German Greet Minnen, could win only two games in the entire match that lasted one hour and 21 minutes.
Ankita showed nerves of steel as she bounced back from a set down to beat Russian-born Australian Rodionova, ranked 168th, 3-6 6-1 6-4 in a thrilling rain-affected three-setter.
Ranked 174, Ankita lost the first reverse singles match 0-6 6-7(5) to Sevastova, who had got the better of legendary Serena Williams in her team's previous tie against the USA.
While Raina pushed her opponent all the way with some scintillating hitting on both sides, Ostapenko's experience at the highest level was enough to secure the win.
The five-member team also has Karman Kaur Thandi, young Zeel Desai, who is making steady progress, and Rutuja Bhosale.
Raina and her partner Kamilla Rakhimova beat Russia's Anna Blinkova and Anastasia Potapova 2-6, 6-4, 10-7 in the final.
Raina achieved the feat after she made the cut for the women's doubles event of the Australian Open.
It was the Indian's sixth attempt to qualify for a competition at the grand stage.
In the women's singles qualifiers being held in Dubai, Ankita overcame a second-set lapse to win 6-2 2-6 6-3 in the second round against the Ukrainian.
Ramkumar, who is yet to make a Grand Slam main draw appearance, ousted 10th seed Argentine Facundo Bagnis with a hard-fought 7-6(6) 7-5 victory in one hour and 53 minutes in men's singles first round.
Top Indian tennis player Ankita Raina won her third doubles title of the pandemic-hit 2020 season, clinching the Al Habtoor challenge with Ekaterine Gorgodze.
Ankita, India's top singles player, lost the second round contest 3-6, 2-6 in one hour and 21 minutes.
Indian tennis player Ankita Raina entered the second round of 2020 French Open qualifiers with a win over Jovana Jovic.
Ankita had won women's singles bronze medal at the 2018 edition of the Asian Games, while Sharan became India's top doubles player in October 2019 before Bopanna took back the position.
Top News
Latest News
