BUSINESS OBSERVER

+ Longboat Key Club & Resort receives glittering award
The Longboat Key Club & Resort was recently awarded the AAA Four-Diamond Award for the 29th consecutive year. Only 4.8% of lodgings inspected annually receive the four-diamond designation.

“I am thrilled that Longboat Key Club & Resort is once again the recipient of this highly respected and highly coveted designation,” says Michael Welly, general manager of the Key Club, in a news release.
The AAA rating system began in 1937 to provide travelers with recommendations and ratings.

+ Additional players confirmed for the 2012 Sarasota Open
The inaugural Sarasota Open Ladies Invitational Tournament recently announced its second player to confirm: Dasha Sharapova. The 16-year-old IMG Bollettieri Academy student began playing at age 5 in Russia; she is cousins with Maria Sharapova.

The Sarasota Open professional tournaments will take place April 14 to April 22, at the Tennis Gardens at the Longboat Key Club. Now in its third year, the Sarasota Open has also announced that Go Soeda and Jessie Levine will join the Sarasota Open Men’s Invitational Tournament, along with Sam Querrey and Tommy Haas.

Japanese baseliner Soeda is ranked No. 67 in singles, and Levine is ranked No. 133. Levine also was recently awarded a wildcard to play in the 2012 Australian Open.

It has also been announced that Alex “Bogie” Bogomolov Jr. will return to the Sarasota Open this year. He is currently ranked at No. 39. The Russian-born Florida resident played his way to the final event last year and was ousted by James Blake after an exciting match.

+ 2012 Nick Bollettieri Open seeks junior tennis players
IMG Academies will host the 2012 Nick Bollettieri Open from June 1 to June 4. The singles-only event will feature 32 of the best 11-, 13- and 15-year-old players. Each age group will have a chance to win one free week of camp evaluation, and the overall winner will earn the opportunity to receive a year-long scholarship to attend IMG Academies.

Interested players should submit resumés and videos to [email protected]. Entries will close May 1.