Rio 2016: India's PV Sindhu in Olympic upset

India's Pusarla V. Sindhu reacts after winning against China's Wang Yihan during their women's singles quarter-final badminton match at the Riocentro stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 16, 2016AFP

The 21-year-old fell to the ground in celebration after beating China's Wang Yihan

A 21-year-old badminton player has become India's latest hope for an Olympic medal at the Rio 2016 games, after a shock win against the world number two.

PV Sindhu upset China's Wang Yihan in the women's singles quarter final on Tuesday.

Wang, 28, was favoured to win having won silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

Many on social media praised her achievement and voiced their hope for her to win a medal.

Sindhu beat Wang 22-20, 21-19 in a 54-minute match. The Indian athlete will go up against Japanese player Nozomi Okuhara in the semi-finals on Thursday.

India"s Sindhu Pusarla, right, greet by China"s Wang Yihan after winning the Women"s Singles Quarterfinal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.AP

PV Sindhu's win has brought hope to Indians that the country may walk away with its first Olympic medal yet

Sindhu Pusarla of India reacts during her game against Yihan Wang of China in Women"s Singles Quarterfinal of the Rio 2016 Olympic GamesEPA

PV Sindhu was born into a sporting family, both her parents were volleyball players

'India is behind you'

Indians on Twitter rallied around Sindhu, saying she had brought pride to her country.

"This girl is on fire!!!!! 2 straight sets! Come on Sindhu!" said Tapsee Pannu.

"Woke up to the great news of PV Sindhu winning. You make us proud," said another user.

"India medal hopes are alive again with this win," another commented.

"India is behind you", a user added.

Yihan Wang of China returns a shot to V. Sindhu Pusarla of India on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at RiocentroAFP

Sindhu was up against 28-year-old Wang, who started playing badminton at the age of nine

India"s Pusarla V. Sindhu returns against China"s Wang Yihan during their women"s singles quarter-final badminton match at the Riocentro stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 16, 2016,AFP

The athlete trains at India's Hyderabad's Gopichand Badminton Academy

'She never gives up'

Born on 5 July 1995, Sindhu started playing badminton when she was eight years old.

The athlete says her parents, both former volleyball players, motivated her to chase her dreams.

She has been training under former international player P Gopichand, who also coached former world number one Saina Nehwal until 2014.

Nehwal was India's top medal contender in Rio but she suffered a shock defeat against Maria Ulitina of Ukraine on Sunday.

But Sindhu has kept India's medal hopes alive.

"She never gives up and that's her best quality," Gopichand says.

Sindhu reached the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. She reached the final of the Denmark Open in 2015 but lost to China's Li Xuerui.

She defeated Scotland's Kristy Gilmour earlier in 2016 to win the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title.

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