Charlie was only just 18 and beat U.S. No. 7 Ron Holmberg, followed by Mexican No. 1, Mario Llamas, 6–0, 6–0 in the quarterfinals (avenging a similar defeat of his 14-year-old brother Stanley earlier in the tournament). In the semifinals, Charlie met Rod Laver, who would later win his first Grand Slam that year. He took the first set 6–0 before losing in three sets. World Tennis reported that "The newspapers and magazines in Puerto Rico have put Khrushchev (Soviet leader behind the Cuban Missile Crisis) on the second page and Charlito on the first".