2012 – The Olympic upset
Mere months after she won the Olympic gold medal in London, Li Xuerui faced up against Sindhu in the China Masters at the quarterfinal stage. Still a bit of a rookie on the international stage, Sindhu was expected by most to bow down to the reigning Olympic champion. But the Indian surprised everyone with a superb performance, and won the quarterfinal in three games.
She continued to show further promise that year, finishing the runner-up at the Senior Nationals as well as the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold, and finishing the year as World No. 15.
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