Remember guys, the players in the poll are what Tennis.com shortlisted. If you have other ideas please specify :)

Didn't Connors win this in the tennis.com list? He's missing from this poll.

To be honest, I'd vote for Agassi over him anytime. Andre has the best return in my opinion.

I don't know or remember the return games of players in general that well.

For instance I know Federer can return a serve like Roddick's incredibly. His reactions are unparalleled in chipping a serve back. Yet he isn't aggressive enough of the serve. Sometime he is content just to chip back when he could take control of a weaker serve i.e. Rafael Nadal.

Nadal and Ferrer are great returns in today's modern game especially on clay their favourite surface which again favours their returns.

Of all time? Agassi and Connors were renowned - I am inclined to say Agassi he could take it early, he could be aggressive, defensive, hit winners, be consistent - the whole package.

Connors SHOULD be on the list ! he was the best returner of his time. Andre might have returned better but he was playing later on when standards had been raised. In fact I often saw Agassi as a bit of a modern day Connors but with a quite different personality, but still a big personality. Smashign guy Andre is. :D

Btw Liam please put me down for CONNORs under other. Ta :)

I'm not sure who else to pick but I feel Andre has to be there. Hewitt possibly. I might vote for Bjorkman though cos I love him! :D

Good heavens, I know SB has mentioned....but no Jimbo. :o :o :o :o

:(

He would be my vote.

Liam, pretty please put me down also as Connors in Other. :clap:

he was actually on the tennis.com list, and was their winner (as Gav mentioned too) so not sure why he isn't on this list :shrug:

you lot try copying and pasting after 2 bottles of rose :P

Connors is now back on the list :)

I actually would have liked to see Tim on the list but thats probably patriotism over sense

Boris Becker was a very underated returner IMO. Had great anticipation on the return and could nail a return winner, especially off the backhand. Had great improvisation off the return too :)

Off the list though i would say Agassi. Just so lethal, especially his backhand return from the deuce court. Could find impossible angles and had such good racquet-head speed going through the shot.

Though i agree with SB, the best returner ever was Connors. Basically revolutionised the game with the return( like his ex-fiancee Evert did). Up until Connors, players just used to return to start the point, but Connors used the return as a way to win points. It had to be an extremely good serve to get Connorsout of position for a return.

Bjorn Borg's backhand return also was just :bow:

Agree entirely dl :D Yep, Borg had a great backhand return, I forgot that! In fact he must have been good on the return really as he wasn't a great server yet won so many matches, he seemed to be able to set the points up well.

And yes, agree entirely on Chrissie - I said so under the women's thread. She wasn't mentioed there either ! :o

You were drunk? :lol:

I can't drink rose in great quantities. Too sickly,.

Agassi returning serve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGpVI1QdMcQ

Federer returning serve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDKDLs9sjIw&feature=related

Connors returning serve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uCPSkncuAk&feature=related

Safin returning serve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tJFrPABxhg

Nalbandian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPSp5pm1CLA

Was Jonas Bjorkman really on the list?

I think Sampras was underated in the return department. He did what he had to do and also hit many outright return winners, something I understand he copied from Rod Laver. And also, he really knew how to take advantage of his opponent's 2nd serves, a key to many of his victories.

I went for the obvious Agassi.
It's interesting watching him playing Krajicek that in an age of big servers Agassi had no choice but to be incredibly aggressive on return, in a sense Krajicek, Sampras, Becker etc all made that a requirement of someone like Agassi who didn't have a big serve of his own.

Youa are right. They influenced eachother. Pat Cash said Agassi changed Sampras' attitude towards the 2nd serve, Agassi made him go for bigger 2nd serves because in the mens game matches are won by who controls the 2nd serve points and on that score Agassi was extremely dangerous against big servers, Sampras was afraid of the Agassi returns.

Ah, evolution in action, players changing their game in relation to each other and the technological environment.