KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles ace Toh Ee Wei is humbled by comparisons to Indonesian badminton legend Liliyana Natsir, a sentiment echoed by fans who see similarities in their playing styles.
Despite the flattering remarks, Ee Wei prefers to stay grounded, focusing on improving her game and achieving greater success.
Liliyana, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics champion with Tontowi Ahmad, also happens to be Ee Wei's idol.
Adding to the connection, Ee Wei's coach, Nova Widianto, won two world titles with Liliyana during their time as a mixed doubles pair before she partnered with Tontowi.
Ee Wei, who has formed a strong partnership with Chen Tang Jie over the past two years, was surprised when the media informed her of the fan comparisons.
"Is that so? Liliyana is my idol, and I am so happy to hear that. However, I have a lot more to learn," said Ee Wei.
"My improvement is due to hard work in training, and coach Nova has helped a lot."
On another note, Nova has tasked world No. 8 Tang Jie-Ee Wei with completing an unfinished mission at the World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou from Dec 11-15 — to defeat Olympic champions and world No. 3 Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong of China for the first time.
The Malaysians have yet to overcome the Chinese pair in four previous meetings, but Nova believes this could be their breakthrough moment, especially with Si Wei set to retire after the WTF.
"Si Wei-Ya Qiong are the only top pair Tang Jie-Ee Wei have yet to beat, and they have one last chance at the WTF," said Nova.
"China's pairs are very consistent, which makes them hard to beat. However, with Si Wei retiring, he might not have been training regularly since the Olympics, which could give Tang Jie-Ee Wei an advantage."
World No. 1 Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping are the other China representative at the WTF.
Malaysia will have two entries, with world No. 10 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai joining Tang Jie-Ee Wei in the tournament.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who failed to progress beyond the group stage last year, are aiming for the semi-finals in Hangzhou.