Sampras Wins Like Champion : Tennis: After earning $2 million at Munich tournament, Rancho Palos Verdes player donates $250,000 to charity.

His big serve brought Pete Sampras the biggest paycheck in tennis. Then Sampras showed he also has a big heart.

After winning $2 million with Sunday’s straight-set victory over Brad Gilbert in the Grand Slam Cup final, the U.S Open champion said he will donate $250,000 to a cerebral palsy foundation.

“This is something my father, Sam, and I talked about for a long time,” Sampras said after his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Gilbert. “His two sisters passed away from the disease and it’s the least I could do when I win $2 million.”

Sampras, of Rancho Palos Verdes, never lost his serve and took only 1 hour 43 minutes to beat Gilbert, who received $1 million of the record $6-million purse.

“It’s been a great year and this is icing on the cake,” Sampras said. “It’s always nice to be making a lot of money, but for me the bigger thrill is to win, especially against the top guys.”

Gilbert came to the tournament as a replacement for injured Andre Agassi. “I’ll send him a Christmas card,” Gilbert said after reaching the final.

The 19-year-old Sampras, ranked fifth in the world, broke Gilbert in the seventh game of the first set and again in the fifth of the second to go two sets up.

He served 15 aces and broke Gilbert in the third and seventh games of the third set as he beat Gilbert for the first time in three career meetings.

“I was very confident, everything I hit turned to gold,” Sampras said. “I was serving very well. Sometimes I’m amazed at the shots I take.”

Sampras was never in trouble against Gilbert and faced only one break point, in the opening game. He combined sizzling backhands and forehands from the baseline with brilliant touch volleys at the net.

As two aces thundered past Gilbert in the fourth game of the third set, Gilbert shouted, “Stop hitting aces!” Two more followed.

“When I am serving like that, there is little the other guy can do,” Sampras said.

Gilbert said Sampras has “star quality” and is a natural talent.

“He’s got ice water in the veins,” Gilbert said. “He just won $2 million and he’s not even excited.

“He was serving big, he was outplaying me from the baseline . . . and if a guy outplays me from the baseline, then I’m in trouble.”

A powerful backhand down the line gave Sampras the break in the sixth game. A similar shot also allowed him to break Gilbert in the fifth game of the second set.

Gilbert double-faulted in the third game to fall behind in the third set. In the previous game, he conceded an ace to Sampras although the linesman had called it out.

Two more backhands broke Gilbert in the seventh game of the third set and gave Sampras a 5-2 lead.

He won the title on his first match point, hitting an overhead smash that Gilbert returned long.