Jasmine Paolini delivered a defiant message to Iga Swiatek ahead of Monday's pivotal Cincinnati Open final - "Let's fight". She overcame Veronika Kudermetova to book her third WTA 1000 final spot.

Paolini needed three sets to see off Kudermetova on Sunday, prevailing 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

Swiatek swept aside Elena Rybakina in straight sets earlier that day but praised her rival after knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the competition.

Swiatek, who endured an awkward interview moment following her match, seeks to claim the Cincinnati Open crown for the first time and become the first Polish woman to accomplish this milestone.

However, Paolini is relishing a brutal battle. She said: "She's an amazing player, and it's always tough to play her. She defends really well, and her serving is good too, so it's going to be tough, but I'll try to do my best in the final. I like the conditions here, so let's fight. Hopefully it's going to be a good match."

Paolini holds three singles titles in her career and secured a WTA 1000 tournament earlier this season at the Italian Open.

Paolini defeated Coco Gauff to claim glory on home soil, but suffered a crushing loss to Swiatek in the Bad Homburg Open semi-final on June 27. Swiatek continued her winning streak into July, clinching her first Wimbledon title and securing her sixth Grand Slam championship.

Despite boasting 23 singles titles in her career, she has yet to taste victory at the Cincinnati Open.

Following her win over Rybakina, Swiatek exuded confidence, declaring she wouldn't change a thing about her performance. "For sure that was a tough match," she admitted.

"At the beginning it was pretty crazy, we played so fast that sometimes we couldn't even run to the second ball because we played so fast. But I was there to play with intensity and quality and I'm super happy with the performance.

"I served much better, so for sure it helped. I wouldn't change anything."

Although Swiatek was unsure of who her final opponent would be at that time, she shared her preparation strategy for potentially facing either Paolini or Kudermetova. "Anyone who's in the final is going to be super tough," Swiatek acknowledged.

"Both of these opponents play totally different tennis, on the other sides of the spectrum in terms of the spin and the pace, so I have to for sure prepare tactically. But I'll just kind of focus on myself and try to continue the work I've been doing because I feel like I've progressed in this tournament, and I just want to continue that, no matter what the result or the stake of the match is."