Ilia Simakin beat Luka Pavlovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinal of the Shanghai Masters. The Russian fell behind early but grew into the match and dominated the deciding set. In doing so, Simakin came through a hard-fought contest on hard court against the Frenchman.
A difficult start for Simakin
Luka Pavlovic got off to the better start and took the first set 6-4. Simakin needed time to find his footing, while Pavlovic leaned on his physical presence and powerful serve. The 1.96-metre-tall Frenchman frequently looked to take the direct route to the net and finished with 27 winners. Simakin kept himself in the match, though he accumulated 20 unforced errors across the contest.
The opening set showed that Simakin, despite his seeded status, was unable to find a free rhythm early on. Pavlovic made the most of the longer rallies and pressed the Russian from the baseline. For Simakin, however, dropping the set proved not a setback but a springboard for a visible upturn in his performance.
Simakin finds the right response
In the second set, Ilia Simakin gradually took control and levelled the match at 6-4. His return game became more effective, and he simultaneously increased the pressure on his serve. Simakin won 75 per cent of his service points and landed 71 per cent of his first serves in — a platform of consistency that allowed him to dictate the crucial games in the set.
Pavlovic remained dangerous but could not convert his chances with any regularity. Simakin capitalised on 80 per cent of his break points, making his mark in the pivotal moments. The levelling of the match shifted the dynamic: Pavlovic was forced to take greater risks, while Simakin placed his shots with more control and more frequently took charge of the rallies.
A commanding deciding set
In the third set, Simakin gave his opponent precious little room and wrapped it up 6-1. The Russian won 59 per cent of the games and claimed 55 per cent of points overall. Pavlovic could find no way back to his usual game, while Simakin dominated on serve and seized the initiative from the outset.
The match statistics underlined the winner's superiority. Simakin won 86 per cent of his service games and took 37 per cent of return points. Pavlovic, by contrast, managed only 69 per cent of service games won. The Frenchman hit nine aces but was unable to convert his advantage in direct winners into match success.
The victory fitted neatly into Simakin's strong run of form. During the summer of 2026 he had won 19 of his 20 matches, including titles in Zhangjiagang and back-to-back wins in Phan Thiet. In Shanghai he demonstrated once again his ability to respond to adversity within a match.
Luka Pavlovic fell short of the final despite taking the opening set. Simakin turned the match around through greater consistency, a sharper return game and a clear step up in quality as the deciding set began. For the Russian, the win was another milestone in a remarkable rise that had taken him to ATP ranking No. 151.
