Pete Sampras beat Jim Courier 8-6 in the finals Thursday night of the HSBC Tennis Cup, the opening event of the 2011 Champions Series. The victory gives Sampras the early lead in the series that has a $1 million bonus pool for the top three finishers on the circuit at the end of the season. The eight-game pro set final was tied at five before Sampras broke Courier’s serve, then held his own to…