"I haven't played many tournaments for the last six or seven years and they get harder every year. Although it was only going to be my match against Trevor which counted for the title I still went as hard as I could against the younger blokes. I lost to a B2 grader in straight sets on the Friday and in three and four sets when I took on two C1 graders on the Saturday," Hayvice said.
"All of my games were close. All of my opponents were nice blokes. While they know titles are up for grabs they weren't win at all cost type of players and they all had a beer with you afterwards," Hayvice explained.
A coach for the past 40 years, Hayvice, didn't have time for any training on his own in the countdown to the tournament.
"The only form of training I got was when I was on the court coaching the nine juniors I look after at the Hawke's Bay club. Four of them are B or C graders so it is hard work," Hayvice said.
"I should have picked out some C graders to play before I went but coaching takes up a lot of time. I'm also a senior coach with the Squash Eastern Academy and I run Sport Hawke's Bay's Kiwisport funded coaching programme for players from Year 5 to Year 8," Hayvice said.
A father of four and grandfather of 11, Hayvice, said while his first national title was his best last weekend's "easily measures up to it".
He first started playing squash in 1972 at the Taumarunui club. He is a former president of the club and honorary life member. In 1988 he went to Australia for 20 years where he coached and played A grade interclub.
"Back in those days A grade interclub was equal to C grade over here," Hayvice said.
He missed out on playing in last year's World Masters Games in Auckland because he was on an African safari trip. Hayvice likes to go on trips and write books about them and has had three books published.
"Last year I spent 10 days in the outback of the Northern Territory in Australia living and writing about it. It was a great experience because it made you write from the heart rather than from the mind," he recalled.
Hayvice is planning another safari next year and if this doesn't clash with the New Zealand Masters tournament he will attempt to retain his title. Three generations of his family play squash.
One of his sons, Dallas got to A grade level, another, Shane, plays at B grade level. His daughter, Tania Willis, was a member of the Hawke's Bay club's C grade women's team which finished second at their national Superchamps tournament in 2015.
The same year her daughter, Hayvice's granddaughter Tegen Willis, played for the Hawke's Bay club's F grade women's team which won their national Superchamps tournament title.
His sporting pursuits in his younger days suggested he would be more than handy at whatever code he took a liking too. A former Hawke's Bay junior rugby representative, Hayvice, was also a Napier and Hawke's Bay junior tennis titleholder.
Hayvice's biggest claim to fame on the tennis court was as a member of a youthful St Pat's premier interclub team which also included Dennis Buckley, Paul Finlayson and Lew Sharman.
They upset a more experienced Hawke's Bay Lawn team which included former New Zealand rep, the late Owen Bold, and former professional coach, the late Earle Denford, in the final of the Hawke's Bay competition.
"I remember we must have been young because we weren't drinking alcohol at the presentation. Earle and Owen asked us afterwards if we wanted to come over to their club but we stayed with St Pat's," Hayvice recalled.
The question had to be put to Hayvice. How long does he plan on continuing to play squash?
"My mate upstairs will tell me when my time is up," he replied.
