Also on the list to be reduced to four are Mark Fynn, United States-based Takanyi Garanganga, Mbonisi Ndimande, Benjamin Lock and Admire Mushonga.
The nine-team tournament to be played on a round-robin format has been slated for the weekend commencing July 2 in Tunis.Other teams competing for promotion into the Euro-Africa Zone Group II for 2013 are Algeria, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Tunisia.
The top nations in each pool will then play runners-up in the other pool, with two winning nations gaining automatic promotion to Europe/Africa Zone Group II for 2013.
Tennis Zimbabwe (TZ) administrator Cliff Nhokwara said the selectors considered Chidzikwe’s good run at the NetOne Zimbabwe Open last year where he was beaten in the final by Garanganga.
“Genius has been called up because of his experience and has been playing well. However, the final team will be announced in two weeks’ time,” he said.
Garanganga, Fynn and Lock were part of the team that finished third last year with Egypt and Madagascar getting promoted to Group II.
However, it is the return of Chidzikwe (33), that has even surprised the player himself, who is now more into coaching. “I am now more into coaching at Mantras Tennis Academy. However, if they think I can be of any help, then I am willing to participate.
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Younger players coming through should be happy to see me being part of the team,” he said. Chidzikwe made his debut in the Davis Cup team as a 17-year-old in 1996, in a dead rubber in which he lost 1-6, 6-7(1) to Finland’s Ville Liunko though the team led by the Black brothers Wayne and Byron won the tie 4-1.
He recorded his first win in the competition when he came from a set down to defeat Portugal’s Bernardo Mota 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 in the 2002 Euro/Africa Zone Group II play-offs.
Chidzikwe later teamed up with Gwinyai Tongoona in 2006 to become the first black Zimbabweans to win a live rubber when they beat Norway’s Andersen Jan-Frode and Boretti Stian 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the doubles at Harare Sports Club.
